China to strengthen support for employment, healthcare in 2025

China is set to introduce further policies to enhance people's well-being in 2025, including measures to support employment and improve grassroots healthcare services, said an official of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Friday.

According to the data from the NDRC, over 240 billion yuan (about 33 billion U.S. dollars) of government funds has been allocated in 2024 to improve living standards and address key social needs.

To boost social employment, China built more than 400 public training centers nationwide in 2024, with more than two million people receiving vocational skills training throughout the year.

Additionally, over 2,700 work-for-relief projects aimed at providing employment were advanced across the country last year, creating jobs for more than three million people, which effectively increased employment among low-income groups in less developed areas.

To improve medical services, high-level hospitals contributed to the development of the 125 national medical centers across different regions with national support in the year.

Moreover, more than 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) has been allocated in 2024 to support the creation of integrated medical and health consortia at the county level, with 30,000 hospital wards, each designed for 2 to 3 patients, renovated and upgraded.

In 2025, China will continue to focus on employment support for key groups, including college graduates, veterans, and migrant workers, while also intensifying efforts to enhance grassroots medical services.

"This year, we will continue strengthening efforts to ensure and improve people's livelihood, introducing more measures to benefit the general public and enhance their sense of gain. Employment support programs, along with large-scale vocational training initiatives, will be rolled out, focusing on improving the vocational skills of groups such as college graduates, veterans, and migrant workers. We will also expand work-for-relief policies and increase the scale of labor compensation. Also, we will improve social services for elderly and child care. Healthcare services will be strengthened to ensure that more people can enjoy high-quality medical care close to their homes," said Yuan Da, deputy secretary-general of the NDRC, at a press conference in Beijing.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday officially launched the operations of its regional center in Shanghai, China, headed by Johannes Wiegand, an IMF economist, as the director.

As one of the regional centers set up by the IMF worldwide, the IMF Shanghai Center is expected to enhance the IMF's engagement with the Asia-Pacific region, according to a statement from the IMF.

The center will serve as a hub to promote research and knowledge sharing that can inform policies in areas of relevance for emerging market and middle-income countries, said the statement.

It also aims at deepening dialogue and outreach with member countries, regional institutions, and other stakeholders in the region, according to the statement.