Making money is trumping rural poverty and economic reforms as the issue of most concern to Chinese citizens, according to a survey ahead of the Saturday opening of China's annual session of the National People's Congress.

The performance of China��s weak stock market is far and away the most popular choice among 20 general topics posed in an online poll being conducted by Xinhua on its Web.

Three-quarters of the more than 180,000 respondents as of Tuesday selected the stock market as one of their eight to 10 choices from the list, three times more than the next most popular choice, fighting corruption, which received 46,000 votes.

��This is because many netizens are engaged in the stock market,�� Liu Juan, in charge of forums at xinhuanet.com, was quoted as saying by the China Daily.

China's main index fell 15 percent last year, making it Asia's worst-performing exchange, hit by economic cooling measures and a series of corporate mishandlings.

The survey is likely only a barometer of sentiment among urban Chinese, affluent enough to enjoy Internet access and cash to invest in stocks.

Only 94 million of China's 1.3 billion people were Internet users at the end of 2004, domestic media said.

Other major concerns expressed in the survey included spiralling education fees, boosting farmers�� incomes and a proposed anti-secession law.

Respondents were least concerned (2 percent) about China��s economic growth rate in 2005 under continued State macroeconomic controls meant to prevent overheating.

The National People's Congress will kick off its annual session later this week, partly to map out economic policies. It is expected to begin reviewing amendments to China's securities law to better protect the rights of small investors.

The survey will remain open throughout the National People's Congress session, which closes March 15.

Source: Shenzhen Daily-Agencies