Hebei province lowers growth target

Hebei province has adjusted its economic growth forecast for 2014, lowering the GDP growth target to 8 percent while highlighting the urgent need to protect the environment and optimize the economic structure.

The province will witness an increase of 8.5 percent in GDP, and the public budget income will see growth of 11 percent in 2013, which is based on the first 11 months' of the year, according to a Hebei government report released on Wednesday.

In 2014, the GDP is expected to grow by 8 percent, and public financing by 9 percent.

"We have changed the work focus from pursing rapid economic growth to environmental protection and optimizing our economic structure, thus giving us an efficient and healthy development way in future," Zhou Benshun, Party chief of Hebei, said on Wednesday in the province's capital city Shijiazhuang.

The GDP growth in 2014, though lower than in previous years, is still reasonable for steady economic development, he said.

"The evaluation of regional governments will not be made based on their GDP, but on their performance in increasing people's living standards and improving the environment," Zhou said.

The year of 2013 has witnessed many smoggy days covering the majority cities in the province. Seven of its 11 cities rank among the 10 worst cities for air quality in China.

To control the deteriorating air quality, the provincial government has implemented a series of policies to reduce the backward production capacity in heavy-polluting industries such as steel, cement and glass.

In 2014, these efforts against air pollution will continues. About 15 million metric tons of steel will be reduced, 10 million tons of cement will be cut down and coal consumption will be decreased by 15 million tons, according to the province's schedule.

"We (the province government) will enforce strict supervision to guarantee these goals are reached on time," he said, adding that the ongoing campaign will slow economic growth, because the heavy industries with pollution have been a pillar of the province's economy.

In order to avoid unrest due to the closing of factories, the province has also been encouraged to optimize its industrial structure through financing and other preferential policies so polluting companies can find new ways to grow.