People's livelihood continuously improved during 14th Five-year Plan: official

People's livelihood in China has been continuously improved during the 14th Five-year Plan period (2021-2025), Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Wednesday at a press conference in Beijing.

China's achievements in economic development and technological progress have been tangibly translated into enhanced public satisfaction and sense of happiness in education, healthcare, elderly care, and childcare services, Zheng said.

"In terms of education, the proportion of migrant workers' children attending public schools or privately-run schools through a government-funded program has reached 97 percent, marking an 11.2 percentage-point increase compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). For healthcare, to ensure that people have access to high-quality medical services closer to home, China has added 114 national-level regional medical centers during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, bringing the total to 125. In addition, the country has established a nationwide system for direct cross-province healthcare settlement, a service that previously did not exist, benefiting over 400 million patients," said Zheng.

"China's average life expectancy has reached 79 years, showing a consistent increase of one year in every five years from the 12th Five-Year Plan period to the 14th Five-Year Plan period. In terms of transportation, China's comprehensive three-dimensional transport network has been rapidly improved. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, newly operational high-speed railway lines has exceeded 10,000 kilometers. Fresh agricultural products now can reach consumers' tables either on the same day or by the next day after harvest, demonstrating significantly enhanced efficiency in both transportation and express delivery services," said Zheng.

People's livelihood continuously improved during 14th Five-year Plan: official

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle