BEIJING -- China's Premier Zhu Rongji defended on Friday his legacy as the no-nonsense reformer who shook up a centrally planned economy but left a question mark over who will replace him next year.

With just one year left in government office, Zhu told a news conference his biggest headache was trying to improve the livelihood of 800 million farmers following China's entry to the World Trade Organization last December.

Defying critics who say he has run out of steam, Zhu put on a lively performance, joking and sparring with reporters, but analysts said he appeared preoccupied with his own legacy and excessively cautious about the sensitive leadership change.

Zhu said he had "basically fulfilled" all the goals he set at a similar news conference when he took over as premier in 1998 -- including dragging state firms out of the red, streamlining a bloated bureaucracy and clearing bad loans in the banking system.

"I think this government has made good its promise," he said after the closing of the annual two-week session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's Parliament.

"We have a clear conscience, but still there is big room for improvement and we must continue to work hard."

Asked what was his biggest headache, he replied: "To be honest, I suffer from headaches all day long."

"If you are talking about one single issue that causes me a real headache at present, that topic is how to increase the income of Chinese farmers."

Weak grain prices and crippling local government levies have sparked a string of protests by angry farmers in recent years and more are expected with an inflow of cheaper foreign grains following China's entry to the WTO.

--- Dodging the Succession Question ---

The normally straight-talking Zhu dodged three questions about who would take over after he steps down from Communist Party and government posts along with President Jiang Zemin, NPC chief Li Peng and other top leaders.

"I have answered countless such questions in the past and every time I answer, my answer gives rise to unjustifiable speculation," Zhu said, when asked whether he might stay on for another term as premier.

"So I will answer your question in the way I did earlier -- please be patient, the answer will be out fairly soon."

Jiang, Zhu and Li, China's top three leaders, are due to leave their Communist Party posts at a five-yearly congress later this year and their government jobs at the NPC in March 2003.

"It is probably a pretty intense period right now in terms of the leadership business," said one Western diplomat.

"He was at great pains to avoid that question in any way, shape or form," the diplomat said. "We know it's sensitive, but I was surprised, really, by how sensitive it is."

Zhu is believed to favour Vice Premier Wen Jiabao as his successor but several others are still in the running and Zhu has made enemies in the bureaucracy with his brusque, sometimes arrogant, manner, analysts said. -------------------------------------------------- -----------