China says good-bye to blind pursuit of GDP growth

[SoCalDem]

Even China is starting to "get it"..

---

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/04/content_1345745.htm

China says good-bye to blind pursuit of GDP growth

www.chinaview.cn 2004-03-04 21:05:40


BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Faced with a growing gap between rich and poor and mounting environmental problems, the Chinese government is set to abandon its blind pursuit of gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

In the past 25 years, China has achieved an economic miracle with average GDP growth at above 8 percent every year. However, as GDP has become the main standard, or the only standard in some regions, to evaluate the government's performance, many local officials have turned a blind eye to development in other fields, including medical care, education, culture and environmental protection.

Threatened by worsening unbalanced development, the government has proposed a scientific concept of development with more attention on rural and social development and environmental protection in a bid to correct the disparities.

Premier Wen Jiabao said the scientific development concept focused on coordinated and sustainable economic and social development, while pushing forward the reform and development drive, to coordinate development in both urban and rural areas and in different regions, and achieve harmonious development between man and nature.


snip......................

[Solon]

1. Unlimited economic growth is impossible in a closed system.

I don't see how such an obvious fact is not discussed more.

[kalian]

2. Very smart on their part....

and yes, they DO "get it" when it comes to economic policies.
8% growth for 25 YEARS. Geez...amazing.

[SoCalDem]

3. Of course the starting point was so far behind

that they had only one way to go..The probably know that they cannot keep 8% a year going forever..The surprising thing is that they realized fairly early-on that some benefits must be extended to the populace.