The sixth session of the 15th Datong Municipal People's Congress opens on Feb 22 in Datong city. [Photo/Datong Daily]

The sixth session of the 15th Datong Municipal People's Congress opened on Feb 22 in Datong city in northern Shanxi province, with 289 deputies attending. 

Zhang Qiang, the acting mayor of Datong, delivered a report on the municipal government's work and achievements made in 2020 at the first plenary congress. He also set new targets for the city's development in 2021 from nine significant aspects, including innovation, rural revitalization, culture and tourism integration, environmental protection and people's livelihoods. 

He said that in the past five years, the comprehensive strength of Datong has steadily improved, and authorities furthered reform and opening-up in an all-around way. Achievements were also made to prevent and resolve significant risks, alleviate poverty, prevent and treat pollution, develop urban-rural areas and improve people's lives. 

In the coming five years, Datong will promote high-quality development and enhance people's well-being based on its strategic position as a provincial sub-central city in Shanxi, he added. 

Specifically, by the end of 2025, Datong's economy will increase substantially, with the average annual growth rate of regional GDP exceeding 8.5 percent. The city will rank at the forefront of Shanxi cities in fields such as science and technology, environmental protection, and green, intelligent and safe mining. Authorities will also enhance the overall business environment and the scale and quality of the open economy. 

There are 10 agenda items for attendees at the three-day session, including listening to and reviewing the report on the work of Datong municipal government, reviewing the city's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for socioeconomic development and discussing the city's long-range objectives through 2035.  

Deputies have also been examining the report on the implementation of the 2020 national economic and social development plan by Datong's government, as well as the 2021 national economic and social development draft plan.

The city's overall budget revenue in 2020 and the draft budget for 2021 will also be reviewed during the session, which runs until Feb 24.