CHINA DAILY TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 5 2013 NPC & CPPCC Chen Yuan Ma Biao Zhou Xiaochuan WangW Zhengwei Wang Qinmin Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai Li Haifeng Edmund Ho LEADERS OF FINANCE Chen Xiaoguang Hau-wah AUTONOMOUS REGIONS AND COMMERCE SENIOR OFFICIAL Liu Xiaofeng Tung Chee-hwa SECTORS LEADERS FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVES DEALING WITH OF SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSEAS CHINESE REGIONS AFFAIRS Zhang Qingli CPPCC NEW LEADERSHIP Ma Peihua LEADERS OF CPC CENTRAL AUTHORITIES OR PROVINCIAL LEADERS COMMITTEES OF NON-COMMUNIST PARTIES Su Rong Qi Xuchun Luo Fuhe LuLu ZhangongZhangong WangWangng JiaruiJiarui LinLin WenyiWenyi LingLing JihuaJihua Chairman of National Committee Wan Gang Du QinglinQiinglin of Chinese People's Political Han QideQide Consultative Conference Photos: Xinhua Yu Zhengsheng GUILLERMO MUNRO / CHINA DAILY Advisory body Family planning policy to remain sets sights on There has been speculation Offi cial plays down speculation that that reforming the family plan- ning commission will bring pollution restructuring plan will lead to change about a relaxation of the policy. But offi cials and experts were By WU WENCONG By ZHAO HUANXIN Th e proposed national health quick to dampen such expecta- [email protected] [email protected] and family planning commis- tions. sion will strengthen implementa- “I don’t see there is any neces- About one-tenth of the roughly 5,000 pro- Th ere will be no change to the tion of the family planning policy sary link between the two,” Vice- posals submitted to the country’s top political country’s family planning policy, regarding institutions, personnel Minister of Health Huang Jiefu advisory body since the two sessions began on a public sector reform offi cial said and functions, he added. told the media when asked if the March 3 are related to environmental protec- one day aft er a key government Without the policy, launched governmental overhaul intimates tion, a top national political adviser has said. restructuring plan was unveiled. more than 30 years ago, the Chi- loosening of the population pol- Luo Fuhe, executive vice-chairman of the “Th e pressure facing residents nese population could be 400 icy. China Association for Promoting Democracy and resources still persists in our million higher than the current Zhu Lijia, a professor at the Central Committee, revealed the figure at a country with such a huge popu- level. Chinese Academy of Gover- meeting on pollution control that included lation,” said Wang Feng, deputy In his last Government Work nance, said he didn’t think that CPPCC members and top offi cials from eight head of the State Commission Report at the opening of the annu- shift ing the National Population ministries. Offi ce for Public Sector Reform. al legislative session on Tuesday, and Family Planning Commis- A working plan relating to groundwater pol- Th e country will keep its basic Premier Wen Jiabao said that in sion’s policy-making function lution prevention and control in the North Chi- state policy on family planning response to changes in the size meant the country would relax na Plain was released on Friday and is aimed aft er the creation of a new com- and structure of China’s popu- its policy in the short term, China at setting out a rough picture of the current mission through the merging lation, the country should solve Business News quoted him as The pressure facing residents and resourc- pollution situation before 2015. of the health ministry with the problems related to the size, saying. es still persists in our country with such a Th e plan, jointly issued by four ministries, National Population and Fam- health, structure and geographi- Speaking at the news confer- including the Environmental Protection Min- ily Planning Commission, Wang cal distribution of its people and ence, Wang Feng also said that huge population.” istry and the Water Resources Ministry, set a told a news conference on Mon- promote long-term, balanced the introduction of private capi- WANG FENG target to build a complete monitoring network day in Beijing. population development. tal in railway construction and DEPUTY HEAD OF THE STATE COMMISSION OFFICE FOR PUBLIC SEC- of the region’s groundwater quality and sources Following the restructuring, Sunday’s restructuring plan operations will help break the TOR REFORM of pollution by 2020. work in the fi eld of family plan- axes the National Population and monopoly in the industry and The results of the first stage of the inves- ning will be beefed up, not weak- Family Planning Commission bring in competition. ‘‘ tigation will be announced to the public by ened, as implementation of the and shift s its population policy- Wang said it has been diffi cult as a government department and split, with its regulatory powers 2015, Chen Ming, deputy head of the Water policy continues to be a chief making functions to the infl uen- for private capital to enter the an enterprise. going to the Ministry of Trans- Resources Department at the Ministry of Water responsibility of Party and gov- tial National Development and railway system as the existing Under the restructuring plan, port, while its operations go to a Resources, told China Daily. ernment heads, he said. Reform Commission. Ministry of Railways functions the Ministry of Railways will be commercial entity. Chen said groundwater quality nationwide is, “better in the mountainous regions than in the plains, and quality of deep groundwater is better than of shallow groundwater”. “Th at’s why the North China Plain, where the pollution situation is relatively bad, has been Authorities hope to harvest grain self-suffi ciency chosen as the fi rst target to combat groundwa- ter pollution,” he said. that diffi culties and challenges uty and village offi cial from a The plan divided the region and the key Increasing population and industrial to agriculture and rural develop- township in Puyang county of source areas of its groundwater system into ment remain. Henan province, urged land 30 plots, emphasizing fi ve major pollutants to production puts pressure on supplies It’s harder to maintain 120 transfers be carried out care- prevent and control, including heavy metal million hectares of farmland fully to avoid harming farmers’ and organics. By AN BAIJIE sidelines of the National People’s with more resources and envi- interests. Recent media reports said 55 percent of the [email protected] Congress. ronmental constraints, said the The central government country’s groundwater has been polluted, but Chen said that the increase in report. should lay out policies to sup- Chen did not confi rm the fi gure. Agriculture authorities will domestic grain consumption is Water scarcity for grain pro- port the development of more “About 30 percent of China’s groundwater try to stabilize grain output even caused by the increasing popula- duction is more serious than farmers, Li said. is good enough to be used as drinking water, though many farmers have given tion and a surging demand from ever, with a shortage of 30 bil- Zhao Yanshui, an NPC dep- ranging from level I to level III. Th e water qual- up production in the process industrial production. lion cubic meters of water for uty and also chairman of YTO ity of the other parts is at Level IV or below,” of urbanization, said a senior Domestic grain production farmland irrigation, according Group Corp, China’s lead- said Chen. offi cial. reached 589.5 million tons last to the report. ing tractor maker, said many But he added that this does not mean 70 per- Chen Xiaohua, vice-minister year, a year-on-year increase of Th e report said the net profi t young villagers have migrated cent of groundwater is polluted, because the No of agriculture, said on Mon- 18.3 million tons, according to of wheat was only 7.80 yuan to urban regions and left the 1 pollutant in China’s groundwater is fl uorine, day that China will enhance its data released on Monday by the Chen Xiaohua, vice-minister of ($1.25) per hectare, which frus- farmland to elderly members a natural element. capacity for self-sufficiency in Ministry of Agriculture. agriculture trated farmers’ enthusiasm for of the family. Allegations of companies in Shandong prov- agricultural products as domes- China’s grain production has agricultural production. “To help the elderly people ince pumping wastewater 1,000 meters into the tic demand for grain has been increased for nine consecutive Chen said spring crops are Chen, the vice-minister, said operate tractors we have reno- ground spread online in February. increasing in recent years. years and stabilized at above 525 growing well nationwide and agriculture authorities will vated our products, such as Chen said official investigations failed to About 98 percent of China’s million tons for fi ve years, said the supply of agricultural mate- encourage farmers to contract adding some power-assistance unearth any such activity, but they did uncover, demand for grain, including the ministry. rials such as fertilizers are suf- farmland from the others and devices and fixing air-condi- and fi ne, several factories for digging shallow wheat, was supplied domesti- The ministry has a target of fi cient. cooperate to develop modern tioners in the cabin,” Zhao said holes or wells about 5 meters deep, to discharge cally last year, Chen said dur- stabilizing this year’s grain out- However, the report released agriculture. during a group discussion on their sewage which polluted shallow ground- ing a news conference on the put above 525 million tons. by the ministry also pointed out Li Liancheng, an NPC dep- Sunday. water..