Hu: Economic growth is top priority

President Hu Jintao said economic prosperity should be the top priority of the Communist Party in a speech during the National Party Congress on Monday, the Financial Times reported. Hu said that China's recent economic prosperity, marked by nearly 10% annual GDP growth during the first five years of his term, has helped China become a "prosperous socialist society." As expected, he also recognized the need for the government to balance the continued economic growth with efforts toward environmental sustainability. Hu said that the party will expand its "intrapary democracy," though he reminded party members that they must always agree with their superiors and insisted that the Chinese definition of democracy is very different from the Western definition.