President puts renewed emphases on family planning.

President Jiang Zemin called for major improvements in the country's family planning, resources management and environmental protection at a work conference held in Beijing on March 12 this year on population control, natural resources and environmental protection. In his address, the president noted that the country will strive to control its population within 1.4 billion by the year 2010, halt the deterioration of the environment and noticeably improve it, and enhance resources management. ¿It is an arduous and important task for the Party and the whole nation,¿ the president said. As the world's most populous developing nation, China has limited per capita natural resources. ¿We must always see population control, preservation of resources and environmental protection from a strategic point of view,¿ Jiang said. In the 21st century, China must continue to make great efforts to stabilize the fertility level, maintain rational use and strict management of resources, and protect and improve the environment. ¿Our success or failure will have a direct bearing on the country's economic and social security, the quality of people's lives and the long-term development of China,¿ the president said. In the new century, it is imperative that we earnestly carry out the decisions of the Party and central government on family planning and the stabilization of a low fertility. On environmental protection, the president stressed that continued efforts should be devoted to both pollution prevention and control and ecological protection. The country should implement the strictest rules and regulations, and continue to uphold the principle of ¿developing while protecting: protecting while developing,¿ he said. In developing China's vast western region, it is also necessary to handle well the relationship between economic development and population control.