State councilors joined group deliberations on the Government Work Report with delegations at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing on March 5.

They expressed full support for the report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the opening meeting of the session.

State Councilor Wang Yong joined the panel discussion with deputies from East China’s Shandong province.

China made remarkable achievements in social and economic development as well as in the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic last year, he said.

For a good starting point of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and the new journey to fully build a modern socialist country, as well as to embrace the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Wang urged actions to strike a balance between development and security, and carry out measures to control the epidemic while maintaining economic and social development.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a panel discussion with deputies from Southwest China’s Chongqing municipality.

He applauded the fact that China has won the hard-fought battles against the epidemic and poverty, and promoted international anti-epidemic cooperation on an unprecedented scale, while calling for departments responsible for foreign affairs to endeavor to create a more favorable external environment for the nation’s development and rejuvenation.

The past year was extremely unusual in the history of New China, said State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Xiao Jie during a panel discussion with deputies from South China’s Hainan province.

In 2020, China made significant strategic achievements in fighting COVID-19, becoming the only major economy with positive growth in the world. The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) also came to a satisfactory conclusion, marked by a complete victory in the battle against poverty and decisive outcomes in fully building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xiao said.

To accomplish government tasks for this year and ensure a good start in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Xiao called for sustaining and spreading anti-epidemic accomplishments and socioeconomic development.

Joining a discussion with deputies from Southwest China’s Tibet autonomous region, State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi affirmed China’s hard-won gains last year in completing targets and tasks set for the past five years and winning the anti-poverty fight as scheduled, coupled with efforts to coordinate epidemic prevention and control with economic and social advances.

China has the confidence, determination, and capability to overcome difficulties ahead and attain this year’s development targets, Zhao added.