tough choices in exercising macro-control. Under such conditions, what should we do? When confronted with mounting challenges, one needs to show guts. To tackle a difficult situation, one needs to have wisdom. We held our ground. We pursued creative thinking and ways in exercising macro-control and set a proper range for China’s economic

operation. That is to say, we worked to ensure that GDP growth and employment would not slide below the lower limit and inflation would not exceed the upper limit. We

focused our efforts on boosting reform and making structural adjustment to ensure that the market will play a strong role. Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary and thanks to the concerted efforts of the entire Chinese people, we faced the pressure down and met our targets.

现在我们看得更多的是困难和问题。今年挑战依然严峻，而且可能会更加复杂。我们既要稳增长、保就业，又要防通胀、控风险，还要提质增效，治理污染，多重目标的实现需要找一个合理的平衡点，这可以说是高难度的动作。但凡事不患难，但患无备。所谓磨好了斧子才能劈开柴。我想只要我们正视困难、直面挑战、趋利避害，就是遇事克难的成功之道。我们有去年应对经济下行的经历，中国经济又有着巨大的潜能和韧性，我们有能力也有条件使今年经济运行保持在合理区间。谢谢。

Now what is on top of our mind is the existing difficulties and problems. We will

confront serious challenges this year, and some may be even more complex. We need to keep steady growth, ensure employment, avert inflation and defuse risks. We also need to raise the quality and efficiency of China’s economic development and tackle pollution. So we need to strike a proper balance amidst all these goals and objectives. This is not going to be easy. But the thing we have to fear is not the difficulty itself, but lack of preparedness, just as only a sharpened axe can cut through firewood. We will face up to the difficulties and challenges and make the most of the favorable conditions while averting unfavorable ones. This holds the secret to our success. Moreover, we gained good experience from handling the economic downturn last year, and the Chinese economy has tremendous potential and resilience. So I believe we have the ability and conditions to keep the economic operation within a proper range this year.

[中央电视台、中国网络电视台记者]总理您好。我注意到您在之前回答记者提问的时候说到今年要继续推进简政放权，所以我想就这个话题请您展开来给我们具体谈一谈。因为我们看到这个话题也是您在去年的记者会和今年的报告当中特别强调的一点，关于这一点在采访的时候我听到大家对这项改革有很多的好评，但是说实话我们也听到了不少的抱怨，比如说现在在有的部门依然还存在着办事难的现象，有的部门可能是把次要的权放出去了，但是重要的权还留着。所以我特别想请问总理，关于简政放权的措施您认为怎么样才能真正地落到实处，要减到什么样的程度这项改革任务才算是基本完成了？谢谢。