The first session of the 15th Ningbo People's Congress opens on April 9. [Photo by Yan Long]

The first session of the 15th Ningbo People's Congress opened on April 9. The government delivered a report to a total of 472 deputies at Ningbo Cultural Plaza, reviewing the city's past achievements and raising development goals and tasks for the next five years.

Acting Mayor Qiu Dongyao praised the government's work over the past five years in the economy, people's livelihood and the city's soft power. He added the work made for a better society referencing reported data.

The report detailed the past five years, revealing an average annual growth rate of 7.6 percent in Ningbo's GDP. The government has made a lot of efforts in emerging, high-tech and equipment manufacturing industries. The sectors of finance, tourism, commerce, agriculture and the postal business also saw great development.

Qiu pointed out the importance of the next five years for Ningbo. In order to become one of China's most prosperous cities, the government will continue to boost industries, the internationalization of the city, the equalization of urban and rural development, the optimization of the city's ecology and the modernization of social management.

"Ningbo has pledged to build a civilized and internationally renowned port city over the next five years, pushing the whole city to new stages of reform, opening-up and modernization," Qiu said.

Deputies of the Ningbo People's Congress discuss government work reports on April 9. [Photo by XuNeng]