In November 2005, the Politburo issued a highly unusual statement setting a mandatory 20
percent reduction by 2010 in energy intensity (measured as energy consumption per RMB¥
5 of GDP). The Politburo typically addresses broad issues and sets quantitative goals for the Chinese
economy as a whole; setting goals for specific industry sectors is usually the purview of the
government, rather than the party. Clearly, the announcement of a 20-percent decrease in energy-intensity production indicated that the senior leaders perceived the energy problem to be
extremely serious.