Beijing: Highlighting threats to social stability, China's premier said yesterday that more needs to be done to create jobs, strengthen social welfare and boost development in restive regions such as Tibet.

In an annual policy speech, Wen Jiabao addressed many of the concerns stirring deep unease among China's 1.3 billion people, pledging to narrow a yawning wealth gap, increase affordable housing, boost the moribund rural economy and fight rampant corruption.

"Everything we do, we do to ensure that the people live a happier life with more dignity and to make our society fairer and more harmonious," Wen told the nearly 3,000 deputies gathered in the Great Hall of the People for the opening of the National People's Congress.

The annual session — the most public event the authoritarian government holds — took place amid heavy security in Beijing to prevent disruptions. Police in recent days warned and detained political activists. Uniformed and plainclothes police searched bags and blocked off vast Tiananmen Square, next to the meeting hall. More than two dozen people who hoped to petition officials for redress of grievances or who raised suspicion were bundled into a police bus and driven away.

Across China, protests — some violent — have grown common among farmers and blue collar workers angered by land seizures, unpaid wages and other acts of unfairness.

Protests

In recent years, even members of the urban middle class have taken to the streets in opposition to some policies, while concern is rising over the future of millions of jobless college graduates.

"Negative public sentiment and social instability are increasing rapidly in China. These issues are not new ones. Only now they have become more severe and more evident, and they could carry social and political costs," said Yang Fengchun, a professor of government at Peking University.

Passenger car sales slowed last month

China's passenger car sales slowed in February as buyers in the world's biggest auto market stayed away during the Lunar New Year holiday, a research group said yesterday.

Passenger car sales rose a still healthy 45 per cent to 881,085 for the month, the Shanghai-based China Passenger Car Association reported, citing data from automakers.

Sales had jumped 84 per cent year-on-year to 1.22 million vehicles in January.

Official data on total vehicle sales for February are due this week.

China's total vehicle sales soared 45 per cent last year to an estimated 13.6 million, overtaking the US as the world's biggest auto market. Most analysts expect growth to exceed 10 per cent this year, but to fall short of last year's stunning recovery.

Rao Da, who heads the private research group, forecasts roughly 20 per cent growth in total vehicle sales this year.