China is intensifying its endeavors to further safeguard and improve people's well-being, and resolutely address the most pressing concerns of its citizens, said a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, on Tuesday.
Central authorities recently unveiled a set of guidelines targeting the most immediate and tangible issues affecting people's livelihood.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Xiao Weiming, deputy secretary general of the NDRC, highlighted the need for further progress as the country advances Chinese modernization, so as to ensure development benefits to reach all people more fairly.
According to the official document, China will expand social security coverage, with particular support for low-income populations, and ensure that all citizens, regardless of region or group, can enjoy equal access to basic public services.
Xiao said the guidelines put fairness first in policies affecting people's livelihood, highlighted greater fairness in social guarantee, and presented policy measures to effectively expand access to basic public services and provide more assistance to low-income groups.
"All people from both urban and rural areas, in different regions, and of different groups can enjoy equal access to basic public services. Highlighting balance of basic public services, the guidelines introduced measures to improve the quality and efficiency of basic public services and to provide services to people in places where they permanently reside," he said.
"Addressing people's pressing concerns in terms of education, medical care, elderly care and childcare, the guidelines stressed inclusiveness of more basic services for people's well-being, introducing policy measures to promote education resources upgrading, quality medical resources sharing and the development of inclusive elderly care and childcare services," he said.
The guidelines emphasized the accessibility of diversified social services and presented policy measures to provide community services at the people's doorstep, improve the quality of the diversified services and promote inclusive and sharing development, according to Xiao.
In the next step, the NDRC will work with relevant departments to implement the guidelines, so that the general public can see the changes and gain the benefits, Xiao continued.
China steps up efforts to boost public welfare, address key social needs
