The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on Friday to discuss the draft government work report, which will be submitted by the State Council to the upcoming annual session of the national legislature for deliberation. 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. 

Two reports concerning the CPC's discipline inspection were also deliberated at the meeting. 

A milestone year

The meeting noted that the past year is a milestone in the history of the Party and the country. Faced with complex and grave domestic and international situations as well as multiple risks and challenges, China has coordinated COVID-19 control with economic and social development and accomplished the whole year's main targets relatively well, it added.

The implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) got off to a good start and China made new and major development achievements, the meeting said.

The meeting stressed that the year 2022, which will see the convocation of the CPC's 20th National Congress, is significant to the development of the Party and the country's cause.

Prioritizing stability while pursuing progress

This year's economic work should prioritize stability while pursuing progress, the meeting said. 

According to the meeting, China this year should firmly deepen overall reforms, continuously stimulate the vitality of market entities and promote innovation-driven development.

The country should promote coordinated development across regions and new urbanization as well as advancing agricultural and comprehensive rural revitalization, the meeting noted.

China will continue to expand high-standard opening-up, the meeting said, adding the country will work to ensure stable development of foreign trade and foreign investment.

It also called for efforts to persistently improve the ecological environment and safeguard and improve people's living standards.

The government should step up its self-improvement and strive to achieve socio-economic development targets set for this year, said the meeting.

The eight-round disciplinary inspection

The meeting pointed out that the eighth-round disciplinary inspection launched by the 19th Central Committee of the CPC has played an effective political supervision role.

China has launched stringent crackdowns on financial corruption, and effectively forestalled and defused major financial risks. Its financial sector has achieved new progress, the meeting noted, adding a range of issues still remain in financial institutions, and they should be solved carefully.

During the eighth-round disciplinary inspection, a total of 25 financial institutions, including financial regulators, banks, stock exchanges and asset-management companies, were given one-on-one feedback by the 15 inspection teams deployed to conduct the mission and were informed of the prominent issues found during the process.

The meeting also stressed the need to strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee on financial work, and unswervingly take the road of financial development with Chinese characteristics.

The meeting urged efforts to prevent and control financial risks and resolutely maintain financial stability.

Calling for curbing corruption in the financial sector, the meeting emphasized the need to ensure that officials do not dare to be, are not able to be, and do not want to be corrupt.

(With input from Xinhua)