The fastest economic growth in a decade surely makes 2006 a good start in achieving China's 11th Five-Year (2006-10) development goal. But last year should be better remembered for a change of far-reaching significance that happened in the country's efforts to save energy.

It is impressive that the Chinese economy, the world's fourth largest, has now grown at double-digit rates for four years in a row. It is even more surprising that China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 10.7 percent to 20.9 trillion yuan ($2.7 trillion) last year, the fastest rate since 1995.

This growth occurred in spite of a spate of tightening measures to keep the pace of expansion in check.