Speak economic truth, Jiang urges leaders | SCMP

A storm being brewed?

Former president Jiang Zemin yesterday appeared to weigh in on the intense debate over the mainland's economic development by urging the government to "speak the truth and report the actual conditions".

"At present, [we] should particularly focus upon the word `truth'. [We] should be truthful and sincere, which is to say [we] should speak the truth and report actual conditions, and not avoid problems," Mr Jiang, the chairman of the Central Military Commission, said.

He made the remarks while meeting PLA officers and President Hu Jintao , who is also a deputy chairman of the commission.

Mr Jiang's remarks come as the central government leadership, under Mr Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao , faces mounting criticism over the use of administrative measures instead of market-oriented tools to tackle an overheating economy.......

However, there have been indications that Mr Hu and Mr Wen have begun to adopt more market measures that many mainland economists have long called for.

......quoted Mr Wen as saying that efforts would be stepped up to abolish measures and rules hindering the development of the private sector so that it could compete on an equal footing with the state sector.......

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