China gets 14th Five-Year Plan off to a good start

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China has accomplished the main targets and tasks for last year and got the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) off to a good start, according to a government work report submitted Saturday to the national legislature for deliberation.

China secured new and major achievements in 2021 in the country's development, with its economy continuing to recover and grow, innovation capacity enhanced and economic structure and regional development priorities refined, said the report.

Last year, China's gross domestic product grew 8.1 percent year on year to reach 114 trillion yuan (about 18 trillion U.S. dollars), while national fiscal revenue exceeded 20 trillion yuan, according to the report.

Major advances were registered in research on core technologies in key fields, it said. "Breakthroughs were made in manned spaceflight, Mars exploration, resource exploration, energy projects and other areas."

China also deepened reform and opening up, enhanced ecological conservation, and raised its people's living standards in 2021.

It said gains in Covid-19 response were consolidated, adding that the implementation of control measures became routine and over 85 percent of the population received a full course of vaccination.