China's National People's Congress begins in Beijing

Inaugurating the National People's Congress in Beijing, outgoing premier Wen Jiabao said he's "keenly aware" that China faces many economic and social problems. There's environmental damage, he said, and corruption within the ruling Communist Party. There's an economic divide between the haves and the have-nots, he said, and the next government should try to fix these problems.

The congress will run for 13 days. It will formally appoint Xi Jinping as president and Li Keqiang as prime minister. It will also fill government posts further down the ranks. It'll also approve a budget for this year that allocates greater spending on healthcare, education and public housing.

But within the past week, a petition there by civil-society leaders urged the parliament to go further and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Listen to the report by correspondent Alastair Wanklyn: