China is going to legislate on minimum subsistence allowance to
improve the living conditions of the needy, Premier Wen Jiabao told
a press conference on Friday following the conclusion of the annual
session of the National People's Congress, the country's top
legislature.
He said that China is considering to establish a plan on urban
and rural medicare reform which will also eventually be complete
with system guarantees.
China has already legislated on the elimination of agricultural
tax and agricultural specialty property tax as well as the free
nine-year compulsory education.
"Once system guarantee is in place, things will not change
easily. Neither will they change with government and leadership,"
he said.
Wen said that the ultimate goal of China's reform and
construction was to satisfy the people's increasing material and
cultural demand. To reach the goal, China must address the issue of
the people's well-being, which includes clothing, food, housing and
transporting.
"The most imminent one is to secure the equal opportunity of the
general public to education," he said.
Wen said that the government would look to the disadvantaged
group, especially farmers, to solve the problems concerning people
's livelihood.
"The speed of a fleet is not determined by the ship which
travels the fastest, but the one that travels the slowest. If we
improve the living conditions of those in difficulty, we improve
the well-being of the whole society," he said.
To ensure all the people can live a happy life, "the key is to
secure their democratic rights and to promote equality and justice,
" the Premier said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2007)