First press conference of new NPC session

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Li Zhaoxing also said a 171-member Presidium of the new NPC session has been elected by a preparatory meeting. And Wang Zhaoguo was elected as the Secretary-General of the Presidium.

Li Jianchao also said the central government's 4-trillion yuan economic stimulus plan involves 1.18 trillion yuan of direct investment from the central government. And the money has been listed in the government's budget plan for 2009 and is subject to the approval from the NPC. He said in the fourth quarter of 2008, the central government made an investment plan of 110 billion yuan. 30 billion has been allocated from the government's surplus revenue. And the remaining over 70 billion yuan will be part of the government's 2009 budget plan.

Li Zhaoxing also said the scale of the government investment in 2009 will be 130 billion yuan. He stressed that the central government will tighten management of these funds to prevent redundant construction and ensure the proper use of the money.

Li also revealed that China's defense budget for 2009 is a little over 480 billion yuan, which is a 14.9 percent increase over the previous year. But the proportion of the defense budget plan in the central budget plan is smaller than before.

Editor:Liu Anqi