China will step up its regulation on economic operation and offer more support to boost farmers' income in 2005, according to a report on planning submitted for deliberation to members of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, Saturday.

The report, for the first time not read out at the NPC session, has two parts, one summing up the implementation of the 2004 plan and the other outlining main tasks for 2005.

On socio-economic development of 2004, the report said China's economy has been growing relatively fast and stable, and weak points of industrial growth, including energy, were strengthened.

New progress has been made concerning the development in its vast western regions and renovation of the northeast industrial base. More economic reforms, including banking system reforms, were carried out and China's foreign trade surpassed 1.15 trillion US dollars, a historical high.

While progress was made in areas of science and technology, education, culture and public health, new steps were taken to protect environment and wild species.

A total of 5.10 million urban laid-off workers were re-employed and farmer's actual income grew 6.8 percent from a year ago.

The report acknowledged shortcomings in economic macro-control and difficulties in boosting grain production and farmers' income. Environmental problems, pressure in employment and growing gap in income between rural and urban residents were mentioned before the report moves to the planning of 2005.

The economic growth rate for 2005 is set at around eight percent. The government will try to re-employ another 9 million laid-off urban residents and keep consumer price index at four percent, according to the report.

The foreign trade volume is aimed to grow 15 percent and urban residents' income to increase by about six percent while farmers' income some five percent.

Science and technology, education, culture, public health and sports should have new progress while pollution of the environment should be more effectively curbed.

The government should also keep a lower birth rate of China's population.

Editor: Catherine