China has built world's largest health, disease control systems: official

China has built the world's largest systems for disease prevention and medical care, head of the National Health Commission Lei Haichao said at a press conference on Thursday.

By the end of 2024, the country counted more than 1.09 million health institutions and a workforce of 15.78 million doctors, nurses and other medical staff, according to Lei.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's basic medical insurance has maintained a coverage rate of around 95 percent, with over 1.3 billion people enrolled in 2024, he said.

China introduced a nationwide childcare subsidy program starting 2025, funded by over 100 billion yuan of fiscal spending, as part of broader efforts to support families and encourage childbirth.

Over the past five years, major health indicators of the Chinese people have improved significantly. In 2024, China's average life expectancy reached 79 years, an increase of 1.1 years from 2020.

Efforts will be made to ensure that more quality medical resources are made available and evenly distributed among regions, Lei said.

"We will bring resources and services closer to the people. We will distribute quality medical resources to the central, western and northeast regions and densely populated cities within provinces, and to the grassroots level. By August 2025, over 200 medical examination results and lab tests had been mutually recognized across 338 city-level regions nationwide," he said.

Lei noted the Chinese government will continue to enhance the overall service capabilities of county-level hospitals and is actively improving the top-level design to create a more effective tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

"We are advancing pilot programs for establishing closely-knit urban medical groups in 81 cities, and have already established closely-knit county-level medical consortium in 2,199 counties and districts. In 2024, the number of two-way referrals nationwide exceeded 36 million, up 46 percent from 2020, indicating that referrals are more convenient for the public," he said.

China has built world's largest health, disease control systems: official

As Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, draws closer, a festive atmosphere is building on the Aoshanwei market in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province, attracting large crowds eager to shop for the holiday goods.

Purchasing Chinese New Year items is a cherished tradition among all Chinese people.

Every stall at the market is bustling with residents as sellers expertly pack their goods, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere.

"Business is improving every day, with a growing number of customers for Chinese New Year goods," said Song, a retailer specializing in dried fruits.

Residents can find a wide range of goods, including food, antithetical couplets, lanterns and traditional Chinese costumes for kids.

"I saw a lot of delicious food, including marshmallows," said He Zihe, a boy.

This year, the Spring Festival falls on Feb 17, with the official holiday lasting nine days from Feb 15 to 23.

The Aoshanwei open-air market has a history of over 600 years and serves not only residents of Qingdao but also those from neighboring cities.

Market fair in east China city attracts influx of New Year goods purchasers as Spring Festival approaches