Deputies attending the NPC meeting welcomed the work report delivered 
yesterday by Premier Wen Jiabao, saying the government had performed well last 
year and set a prudent course for the future.
A World Bank official also lauded the report. 
Zhang Jiehui, NPC deputy from Anshan, Liaoning Province, said he supported 
the central government's call for more energy-conservation and measures to 
control pollution.
"The work report sets the tune for green development, which is especially 
meaningful for cities that have heavily polluting steel making factories," said 
Zhang. 
NPC deputy Wu Jijun, a village leader from East China's Jiangsu Province, 
said calls to increase agriculture input were encouraging.
"As a deputy from the grassroots, I feel Premier Wen is speaking directly to 
me, since his report addressed my most urgent question. I feel so confident in 
building a new countryside as the country has been increasing its budget for 
agriculture and rural issues in recent years," said Wu.
Peng Fuchun, NPC deputy from Central China's Hubei Province, said he was glad 
that the authorities would set aside scholarships and other forms of assistance 
to help students from poor families.
"The country's education system is fraught with unfairness, but the new 
measures should improve the situation a lot. I am glad to see that a larger than 
ever part of the government's work report addresses education issues," said 
Peng, a university professor from Hubei.
And Tan Zhijuan, a deputy from Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, said 
she was cheered by the government's promise to create more job opportunities 
this year.
"Re-employing laid off workers has been a key issue, affecting the well being 
of the whole society. I'm sure the country's effort to enlarge the job market 
will pay off this year," said Tan.
And the international communities also weighed in on the report.
David Dollar, the World Bank's country director for China, said the premier's 
work report was an impressive and thorough document. He said the first year of 
the 11th Five-Year Plan had gone well, and that the 8 percent growth target for 
this year is prudent. 
"Overall, the work report sets out a realistic macroeconomic program and a 
set of structural measures that will help China rebalance its growth away from 
investment and exports and put more emphasis on important social and 
environmental objectives," Dollar told China Daily in an exclusive interview 
yesterday.
(China Daily 03/07/2007 page6)