CPC leadership analyzes, studies 2025 economic work

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Monday held a meeting to analyze and study the economic work of 2025.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting in Beijing.

This year is crucial for achieving the objectives and tasks laid down in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), and the economic operation has been generally stable with progress made. The country's economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, and composite national strength have continued to improve, according to the meeting.

The main goals and tasks for economic and social development in 2024 will be successfully accomplished, it said. For a sound economic performance in 2025, more proactive and impactful macro policies should be adopted, said the meeting.

It urged implementing a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy next year.

It is necessary to enrich and improve the policy toolkit, strengthen unconventional counter-cyclical adjustments, intensify the coordination of various policies, and make the macro regulation more forward-looking, targeted and effective, the meeting noted.

The country should vigorously boost consumption, improve the investment efficiency, and expand domestic demand on all fronts, it said.

The meeting emphasized fostering new quality productive forces driven by scientific and technological innovation, developing a modernized industrial system, giving play to the leading role of economic system reform, and ensuring signature reform measures are effectively implemented.

The country should expand high-standard opening up and stabilize foreign trade and investment, as well as effectively prevent and defuse risks in key sectors to ensure no systemic risks arise, according to the meeting.

It also called for promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas, advancing major regional development strategies, accelerating the green transition in all fields of economic and social development, and increasing efforts to safeguard and improve people's livelihood. The Party's leadership over the economic work must be strengthened to ensure that the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee are faithfully executed, said the meeting.

The meeting also discussed plans to improve Party conduct and fight corruption.

CPC leadership analyzes, studies 2025 economic work

CPC leadership analyzes, studies 2025 economic work

CPC leadership analyzes, studies 2025 economic work

CPC leadership analyzes, studies 2025 economic work

China will take more effective measures to improve people's wellbeing, especially in education, healthcare, and social security, an official said Thursday in Beijing at a press conference on the interpretation of this year's government work report, which was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation earlier in the day.

Shen Danyang, head of the government work report drafting team and director of the State Council Research Office, said centering on enhancing educational equity and quality, the report made arrangements for education at all educational stages and of all types.

"Regarding preschool education, the policy of free education in the year prior to entering primary school will continue to be implemented this year, which is commonly referred to as free admission to the senior class of kindergartens. So, how can the income reduction of kindergartens be addressed? Subsidies will be provided by both the central and local governments, with the central government taking the lion's share. This year, the funds allocated to support the development of preschool education will increase significantly by 37.8 percent to ensure the implementation of the beneficial policy," he said.

Regarding senior high school education, Shen said the report stated that the supply of regular senior high school places will be increased,

Specifically, for areas with a continuous net inflow of population, a number of regular high schools will be planned and constructed on an annual basis. For regions with a temporary shortage of school places, priority will be given to the renovation and expansion of existing teaching buildings, student dormitories and canteens, he said.

Shen said the report put forward many supportive measures in healthcare.

"For instance, it urged efforts to strengthen coordination in drug use at the grassroots level, which mean improving the list of essential drugs, and optimizing the channels for drug supply and drug use coordination between upper- and lower-level medical and health institutions to make it more convenient for the public to use drugs at their doorstep. Besides, the report has made arrangements for supporting the development of innovative drugs for the third consecutive year. This year, China will strengthen the coordination of supportive policies in an all-round way, further address issues such as the barriers facing innovative drugs entering hospitals, and better meet the diverse medical and medication needs of the people," he said.

In terms of social security, Shen said the report proposed to continue raising the minimum standard of basic pensions for urban and rural residents -- a policy will benefit over 180 million elderly people.

"The central government will allocate 1.25 trillion yuan (about 181.25 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidy funds to ensure the timely and full payment of pensions. In response to the insufficient protection of the rights and interests of people engaging in new occupations, the report proposed to steadily and orderly expand the scale of the pilot program for occupational injury insurance. This year, the policy will cover 31 provincial-level regions across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Meanwhile, enterprises specializing in travel, instant delivery and intra-city freight delivery will be included in the pilot program, which will ensure the safety of more laborers, such as food delivery workers and online car-hailing drivers," he said.

China to improve people's wellbeing in education, healthcare, social security: official