Chinese Premier says hard to achieve 8% growth

Setting the goal is "the government's commitment and responsibility" and has showed "confidence and hope" as the global financial crisis is taking a toll, said Wen at a press conference after the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) closed. "It's just like we need compass on a sailing vessel to know where we are heading and when we will arrive at the destination," he said, Kazinform cites Xinhua. China is in a stage of accelerating marketization and urbanization and its consumption is expanding, he said. With 1.3 billion population including 900 million rural residents, "China has a bigger market than those of the Europe and the United States given its big population and areas," he said.