Xinhua China News Digest at 16:00 GMT, Feb. 27

Xinhua China News Digest at 16:00 GMT, Feb. 27

The following are China news stories moved by Xinhua News Agencyas of 16:00 GMT, Feb. 27:

TOP STORIES

* Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao conducted an online chat with thepublic Sunday, answering questions concerning economic growthtargets, housing prices, migrant workers, currency exchange ratereform, health care insurance, and other matters. Following arehighlights of the chat:

-- 1st LD Writethru: Premier Wen: China targets slower growth tofocus on people

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao saidSunday the government is to set its annual gross domestic product(GDP) growth target for the 2011-2015 period at 7 percent,highlighting the need to raise the quality of growth and improveliving standards.

The target was lower than the 7.5 percent for the previous fiveyears, when China's economy grew at an annual rate of about 10percent from 2006 to 2010.

-- 3rd Ld-Writethru: China's State Council to discuss raisingincome tax threshold

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao saidSunday that the State Council, the Cabinet, would discuss onWednesday a plan to raise the threshold of personal income tax.

-- 2nd Ld-Writethru: Chinese premier pledges to rein in soaringconsumer prices

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao toldInternet users Sunday that he would not allow consumer prices tosurge unchecked.

Wen made the remarks in an on-line chat with the public whenanswering questions concerning rising prices.

-- 2nd LD Writethru: Chinese Premier reiterates determination tocool property sector

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Sundayreiterated his determination to tame the country's runaway housingprices during his tenure, which is to end in March 2013.

-- 1st LD Writethru: China to target principal officials in anti-graft endeavor this year: Wen

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's corruption investigatorswill target leading officials in graft probes this year, Premier WenJiabao said Sunday.

Wen said in an on-line chat with the public that theinvestigation and prosecution of principal officials for abuse ofauthority, dereliction of duty and involvement in corruption wouldbe a "primary task" in 2011.

-- 1st LD Writethru: Premier Wen says China to ensure fair incomedistribution

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said hereSunday that ensuring fair income distribution is an important taskfor the government in the coming five years.

Income distribution has a direct bearing on social justice andstability, Wen said during an online chat with Internet users.

-- 2nd Ld-Writethru: Government to fight discrimination againstChina's migrant workers: Premier

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao saidSunday the government will strive to end discrimination againstrural migrant workers in employment, education and training.

The government was mulling more measures to reform the householdregistration system, or hukou, in an active and steady manner, and apolicy circular in this regard would be published, Wen said.

-- Roundup-China Exclusive: Premier Wen targets causes ofinstability, stresses fair treatment of disadvantaged groups

by Xinhua writers Liu Jie, Kong Xiaohan and Tian Ye

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Sundaylaid out three planks of government policy essential to maintainingstability: closing income gaps; equal benefits and opportunities forrural residents; and eradicating corruption.

-- Feature: Chinese Premier brings life stories and hard news topublic chat

by Xinhua writer Wu Chen

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) - If anyone wondered what the Chinesegovernment was actually doing to address the nation's problems,Premier Wen Jiabao gave them some answers Sunday.

One piece of hard news announced by Wen during his third annualon-line chat with the public was that the State Council, theCabinet, would discuss Wednesday proposals to raise the threshold ofpersonal income tax.

*2nd Ld-Writethru: China continues efforts to evacuate nationalsfrom Libya

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 1,226 Chinese who had beencaught in the unrest in Libya returned to the country Sunday bychartered flights as the Chinese government continued to evacuateChinese nationals from the region.

FEATURE

* China Exclusive: Copyright dispute tunes netizens to migrantworkers' own "spring"

SHANGHAI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Internet users are callingfor songs dedicated to the country's 200 million migrant workers asthe nation is paying more attention to the driving force behind theworld's fastest growing economy.

The calls came after a duo of migrant workers, Xuri-Yanggang, orthe Rising Sun and Masculinity, was prohibited from singing theirsignature song by its composer.

*China Focus: "Go west" broadens foreigners' vision of China

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- In the past, western delegates wereoften led to ancient Chinese cities like Xi'an in northwesternShaanxi Province or prosperous Shanghai. But now, many choose tovisit the impoverished western region to learn about the "realChina."

A group of young people from Europe arrived at Guiyang, capitalof the mountainous southwestern Guizhou Province, on Thursday."During my first visit, I went to Shanghai for the 2010 Expo andfelt that I was in a city like New York," said Peter Matjasic,president of the European Youth Forum. ----------------------------------------------------

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Duty editor: Tian Sulei@ 8610 6307 3665 ----------------------------------------------------