China has made historic achievements in improving the people's well-being since 2012, said a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) -- the nation's top economic planner -- on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Xiao Weiming, deputy secretary-general of the NDRC, briefed news media on China's achievements in poverty eradication, social security, education, life expectancy and people's income growth.
"China has made historic achievements in improving the people's well-being in the new era. In a full victory over poverty, nearly 100 million poor rural residents have been lifted out of poverty. China has built the world's largest social security system, with 1.07 billion people covered by basic old-age insurance and 1.32 billion people covered by basic medical insurance," Xiao said.
"The coverage of education at various levels has reached or surpassed the average of middle- and high-income countries. In 2024, the average length of education received by new entrants into the workforce was over 14 years. The average life expectancy has increased to 79 years. The national per capita disposable income has reached 41,300 yuan (about 5,752 U.S. dollars), with the relative gap between urban and rural incomes continuously narrowing. The Engel's coefficient has been kept under 30 percent in China," he said.
The Engel's coefficient, which measures food expenditures as a proportion of total household spending, is a key indicator of people's living standards in a country. An Engel's coefficient below 30 percent is generally considered by the United Nations to indicate a wealthy life.
China makes historic achievements in improving people's well-being: official
China makes historic achievements in improving people's well-being: official
China makes historic achievements in improving people's well-being: official
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
