Chinese lawmakers open annual session

BEIJING, March 5 (UPI) -- Chinese lawmakers were presented with a five-year development plan that would cap population at 1.4 billion, increase the minimum wage and reduce unemployment.

The plan was unveiled at China's annual parliamentary session Saturday in Beijing to more than 5,000 people from across the country, Xinhua, China's official news agency reported.

The gathering included nearly 3,000 National People's Congress deputies and more than 2,000 members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

At the meeting Premier Wen Jiabao said China "still faces an extremely complex situation for development" this year.

The draft plan would see China's gross domestic production increase by an average of 7 percent annually, keep registered urban unemployment at 5 percent or less and maintain stable prices of goods.

The plan also proposed construction and renovation of 36 million apartments for low-income families; detailed pension plans and said the minimum wage standard should increase by no less than 13 percent annually.

China has overtaken Japan as the world's second-largest economy.