British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on Saturday said that the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing marks "an important step in re-stabilizing UK-China relations", expressing hope for further cooperation on mutual interests to benefit both peoples.
Held in Beijing on Saturday, the dialogue was co-chaired by Reeves and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
The two sides discussed topics including macroeconomic policies and economic globalization, trade and investment, industrial cooperation, financial market development, and financial regulatory cooperation.
Vice Premier He said that China is willing to work with the UK to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, uphold the positioning of strategic partners, strengthen communication and dialogue, further expand economic and financial cooperation, and provide more impetus for the development of stable and mutually beneficial China-UK relations.
For her part, Reeves said that the UK is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China in the fields of economy and finance and develop a consistent, lasting and mutually respectful relationship between the two countries.
"We have discussed several areas in which we can enhance this cooperation, including across our capital markets and sustainable finance as well as on countering illicit financial flows. I particularly welcome that China plans to issue its first overseas sovereign green bond in London during 2025," she said.
"This economic and financial dialogue marks an important step in re-stabilizing UK-China relations, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and I remain committed to. Through pragmatic, consistent engagement, and working within the rules-based international system, our two countries can work together on areas of mutual interest in the interest of our citizens while also being frank and open with each other when we disagree," Reeves said.
Economic dialogue "an important step in re-stabilizing UK-China relations": Chancellor
Economic dialogue "an important step in re-stabilizing UK-China relations": Chancellor
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
