China's parliament starts annual session

The 12th National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliamentary body, opened its first annual session Tuesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

NPC deputies will elect new president and vice president, decide on a new premier, vice premiers and cabinet, as well as approve a government institutional reform plan.

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies from across the country attended the opening meeting along with top Party and State leaders.

Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a government work report at the opening meeting, chaired by Zhang Dejiang, executive chairperson of the session's presidium.

It was the final time that Wen delivered the government work report as the premier.

The report set the country's economic growth target of this year at 7.5 percent and promised to curb the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase at around 3.5 percent.

It also vowed to create more than 9 million new urban jobs and keep the registered urban unemployment at or below 4.6 percent.

The year 2013 is the first year to fully carry out the guiding principles of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, according to the report, and is also a crucial year for continuing to implement the 12th Five-Year Plan.

Wen's report said 2013 presents favorable conditions and positive factors, but also many risks, for China's social and economic development.

Editor: Huang Lan

Voiceover: Chris Clark

Producer: Flora Yue