Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao vowed to live up to people's expectations and commented on many issues related to China's political, economic and social development at a press conference upon the conclusion of the 10-day session of National People's Congress in Beijing yesterday.

The Chinese government will face new challenges and live up to the expectations of the people, said the premier, who called last year an extraordinary year as China won an "important victory " over the outbreak of SARS and scored "obvious achievements" in its economic development.

The premier also highlighted this year's goal of maintaining a balanced, relatively fast economic growth and considered agriculture, rural areas and farmers as the most "difficult problems" and issues related to people's interests to be what he cares about most.

The fundamental way to resolve problems affecting the people's interests hinges on "institutional development," "policy" and " laws," said Wen.

He pledged to continue reform, innovation and forge ahead courageously and quoted verses of late Chairman Mao Zedong and an ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan to express his determination to work harder for the country in spite of numerous difficulties.

While commenting on the country's governmental institutional reform, Wen said without successful political restructuring, there were no successful economic reforms whatsoever.

The premier cited the first goal as the establishment of a scientific and democratic decision-making mechanism, including a group decision-making system and consultations with experts and professional people.

The second goal is to administer the country according to laws. "We must prompt the government to administer the country in line with law, build a clean and honest government, and pursue the combination of the government's power and responsibility."

The third goal is to accept supervision from every corner of the society, including the supervision from the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Governments must hear and solicit opinions and views from people and the general public, according to Wen.

He also noted leading officials of the Communist Party of China and all Party members should play an exemplary role in abiding by the Constitution and laws in response to a question by a German journalist about the amended Constitution.

The Constitution and laws will not be changed according to changes of state leaders or changes in the leaders' attention, said Wen.

In response to a question about the incident in 1989, Wen said that an important reason for China's tremendous development in the past 15 years was the fact that the Communist Party of China maintained China's unity and social and political stability.

"A severe political storm occurred in China in the late 1980s and early 1990s," he said. "At a crucial juncture bearing on the country's destiny, the CPC Central Committee, by relying on the whole party and the people of all ethnicities across the country, continued to uphold the policies laid down following the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee held in late 1978 and successfully steered the general situation of China's reform and opening to the outside world."