Mar. 8, 2010 -- A country cannot become strong or prosperous if it does not make education universal and improve its quality, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday.

China will give "high priority" to developing education, Wen said in the government work report delivered at the annual session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature.

Wen said China will promptly begin to implement the Outline of the Medium-and Long-Term National Education Reform and Development, released Sunday to the public.

Wen said the central government will focus on five areas in the implementation of the outline: to advance education reform, promote the balanced development of compulsory education, strengthen vocational education, reform the management and admissions systems of institutions of higher learning, and improve the salaries of teachers.

Annual government investment in education will increase to 4 percent of the country's total GDP by 2012, according to the outline.