VZCZCXRO7723
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0826/01 0662339
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 062339Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5523
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000826 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAGR PGOV SOCI ELAB CH
SUBJECT: HENAN NPC DELEGATION STRESSES RURAL DEVELOPMENT, 
FAMILY PLANNING 
 
REF: A. (A) BEIJING 809 
     ¶B. (B) BEIJING 808 
     ¶C. (C) 06 BEIJING 24171 
     ¶D. (D) BEIJING 750 
     ¶E. (E) 07 BEIJING 7389 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Henan's Provincial National People's Congress (NPC) 
Delegation stressed the importance of rural development and 
family planning during discussions on March 6 regarding the 
Government Work Report that Premier Wen Jiabao delivered the 
previous day (Ref A).  Representatives from China's most 
populous province said taking measures to promote 
agricultural development and stem population growth would be 
critical for the province's future.  At the meeting chaired 
by Party Secretary Xu Guangchun, representatives praised 
Wen's Work Report, with one deputy telling Econoff that 
Central Government policy is in line with Henan's focus on 
the basic needs of its nearly 100 million people.  Foreign 
press faced difficulties gaining access to the meeting 
despite previous assurances from the NPC Press Center that 
this year's NPC would be more open to the media.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Zhengzhou, Henan's provincial capital, is a Virtual 
Presence Post (VPP), and Econoff/VP attended the March 6 
Provincial NPC Delegation meeting.  (Note:  Ambassador hosted 
Henan Party Secretary Xu for lunch on March 5 (Ref B). 
Henan's GDP grew by 14.5 percent to USD 206.15 billion in 
2007 and ranks fifth nationally out of 31 provinces, 
municipalities, and autonomous regions, but per capita GDP 
remains relatively low at USD 2,200 and ranks seventeenth. 
End Note.) 
 
RURAL DEVELOPMENT REMAINS TOP PRIORITY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Discussion at the Henan Provincial NPC Delegation 
meeting on March 6 focused on rural development.  With 
approximately 70 percent of the province's population in 
rural areas, Henan deputies said promoting rural development 
and narrowing the urban-rural income gap remain the 
province's top priorities.  One presenter said the province 
would continue to promote urbanization (Ref C), but in doing 
so still would pay close attention to the environmental costs 
and impact on food security.  Henan deputies agreed that 
improving rural infrastructure, the focus of the State 
Council's 2008 Number One Document (Ref D), would be critical 
for the province's continued economic growth. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Note:  Rural-to-urban migration also has played a 
major role in recent years in Henan's economic development. 
On his arrival in Beijing for the NPC session, Party 
Secretary Xu visited a center for Henan migrants who are 
 
SIPDIS 
working in Beijing.  Xu reportedly stated at that event on 
March 2 that there currently are 19.5 million Henan residents 
who are working as migrants in other parts of the country. 
End Note. 
 
FOCUS ON FAMILY PLANNING 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) Following Premier Wen's statement on March 5 that 
China would continue to carry out the one-child policy in 
order to maintain a low birthrate and improve maternal and 
child health (Ref A), Henan deputies followed suit, stating 
that the one-child policy is critically important for China's 
most populous province.  One deputy said the province should 
continue to focus on the "quality" of its people by ensuring 
population growth is slow and there are enough resources to 
support social services for the entire population.  Henan 
representatives acknowledged that the Provincial Government 
should take steps to improve the social safety net for the 
elderly, especially when one adult child often must take care 
of two elderly parents or even two elderly in-laws. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Note:  A Wall Street Journal article on March 6 also 
pointed out that the one-child policy has attracted headlines 
in the run-up to the March session of the NPC, particularly 
after Zhao Baige, Vice Minister of the National Population 
and Family Planning Commission, suggested that there might be 
changes to the policy this year.  End Note. 
 
PRAISE FOR THE WORK REPORT 
-------------------------- 
 
BEIJING 00000826  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Henan NPC Deputies uniformly praised the Government 
Work Report.  (Comment:  This is not surprising given the 
staged nature of many NPC events, but at the same time, we do 
sometimes hear dissenting views from deputies during NPC 
delegation meetings.  End Comment.)  One presenter stated 
that Henan would continue to promote Hu's Scientific 
Development Concept (SDC) (see Ref E on the challenges for 
SDC in Henan Province). 
 
¶8. (SBU) Li Ya, an NPC Deputy from Xuchang in Henan, told 
Econoff that the Work Report's focus on social issues and the 
needs of the people, including its emphasis on rural 
development, would be particularly important for Henan. 
Overall, Li said the Work Report was "very good." 
 
MAYBE NOT THAT OPEN TO THE PRESS AFTER ALL... 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Despite repeated assurances by the NPC Press Center 
that this year's session of the NPC would be more open to the 
media, foreign journalists (and Econoff) were stopped at the 
front door of the Great Hall of the People by security and 
told the Henan Provincial Delegation meeting was not open to 
the media, even though they had proper credentials and the 
meeting was listed on the NPC Press Center website as being 
open to the press.  A Third Secretary from the MFA 
Information Department later apologized to Econoff for the 
mix-up, but only one foreign journalist managed to cover the 
meeting, which was the only event open to the media on the 
morning of March 6. 
RANDT