BEIJING, Oct. 12(Xinhuanet)--A development roadmap for the next five years which aims to raise the living standards of the people was proposed yesterday by the Communist Party of China(CPC) after concluding a key four-day meeting.

Per capita gross domestic product(GDP) will be doubled by 2010 from US$854 in 2000, said the communiqu released by the 16th CPC Central Committee after more than 340 members ended its fifth plenary session.

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, gave a working report on behalf of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.(Xinhua photo) All top CPC leaders, including Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo and Wen Jiabao, attended the session.

The target must be achieved by"optimizing structure, improving efficiency and decreasing energy consumption," said the communiqu.

The plenary session set development goals for the proposed 11th Five-Year Plan for National Economy and Social Development(2006-10).

The efficiency of utilizing resources must be improved and the energy use per unit of GDP also known as ratio of total energy use to GDP must be reduced by 20 per cent from 2005, said the communiqu.

"This shows that economic growth in the future must be high-quality, or sustainable, with less pressure on the environment," Cao Xin, professor of the Economics Department of the Central Party School, said in an interview with China Daily.

A group of enterprises with strong international competitiveness will be established in the next five years.

Urban employment opportunities will be increased, the social security system improved and the number of poverty-stricken people reduced, according to the document.

The income and living standards of Chinese people will be raised, while the quality of housing, communication, education, culture, public health and the environment will be improved remarkably, the communiqu said.

"The document has a very clear guiding theory: the scientific concept of development," said Cao, referring to the idea introduced by President Hu Jintao two years ago against a background of widening income disparities, deteriorating environment and rapidly-increasing consumption of natural resources.

The concept reflects people-centred ideas and focuses on seeking co-ordinated and sustainable development, according to Cao.

"Pushing economic development and improving people's lives have always been the central task of China," said the communiqu.

The registered urban unemployment rate last year was 4.2 per cent and 9.8 million people found new jobs.

The number of people living in poverty with per capita annual income of less than 668 yuan(US$81) was 26 million last year.

"China is recasting its development model and pursuing high-quality economic growth to improve the environment and create more job opportunities," said Cao.

The plenary meeting also addressed"social fairness" by promising to narrow income gaps between different areas and social groups. Enditem

(Source: China Daily)