The central economic conference, an annual event that sets out major economic strategy and policy for the coming year, called for resolute measures to put an end to high consumption of energy and resources, heavy pollution and low economic returns.

China will develop a resource-efficient development mode by giving priority to resource and energy saving, promoting recycling and creating savings-oriented industrial and consumption patterns, according to the strategy adopted at the three-day meeting that concluded on Sunday.

They also emphasized innovation as being central to pushing forward structural readjustment.

China will improve research and development, continue to import and absorb advanced technology while striving for innovation and perfect policy mechanisms to encourage this, according to the strategy.

Structural readjustment will be facilitated by boosting healthy urbanization and striving for coordinated regional development.

Under the strategy, China, which is in the important period of accelerated urbanization, will properly handle relations between urban and rural areas, protect and save its land resources and safeguard the legitimate rights of farmers, and control the speed of urbanization.

China will continue its strategy to develop its vast but impoverished western area, reinvigorate the industrial belt in the northeast, and promote development of central areas, while encouraging the coastal area to take the lead in economic development for common development.

The meeting called for efforts to give full play to the important role of the market in regional development, and comparative advantages of various regions while increasing assistance to economically underdeveloped areas and other areas in need.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2004)