Social stability has become a major concern in China as it will be, as Premier Wen Jiabao said, the most difficult year for China's economic development since the beginning of the century.

"We will improve the early-warning system for social stability to actively prevent and properly handle all types of mass incidents," Wen said in the government work report delivered at the annual session of the parliament Thursday.

Wen urged officials to give top priority to ensuring people's wellbeing and promote social harmony. "The more difficulties we face, the greater attention we should pay to ensuring people's wellbeing and promoting social harmony and stability."

The word "stability" is mentioned 12 times in the 44-page English version of the report.

The country should be clearly aware that it faces unprecedented difficulties and challenges, including that the global financial crisis continues to spread and get worse, Wen said.

China witnessed a series of mass incidents during the past year, including protests by unemployed workers, taxi drivers strikes, and the unrest in the southwestern Weng'an County triggered by the death of a school girl.

The task of maintaining social stability became more arduous as the global financial crisis worsened and hit the real economy of China hard.

China's labor dispute lawsuits nearly doubled last year over 2007 because of the economic downturn and the new Labor Contract Law's adoption, according to the Supreme People's Court.

The southern boomtown Guangzhou reported 10 percent more mass labor disputes (involving more than 30 workers) in the fourth quarter than the third quarter in 2008 and the figure was 4.4 percent more in January than in December.

Experts have expressed concerns on severe employment situation. Prominent Chinese economist and political advisor Li Yining noted employment should be the country's top priority this year.

Source:Xinhua