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China to take stronger measures to improve people's wellbeing: report

China

China

China

China to take stronger measures to improve people's wellbeing: report

2026-03-05 13:11 Last Updated At:18:27

China will take stronger measures to improve people’s wellbeing in the coming year, according to a government work report submitted Thursday to the country's top legislature for deliberation.

The people's wellbeing must always come first, and the government should ensure that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs, and provide a cushion for people most in need, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said when delivering the report at the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"We will take stronger measures to improve people’s wellbeing. We will promote high-quality full employment. We will implement the initiative for creating more stable, better-quality job opportunities, and draw up policies to facilitate employment for college graduates and other young people. Policies will also be adopted to encourage people in flexible employment and new forms of employment to participate in social security programs. We will take more effective measures to facilitate employment and entrepreneurship through better adaption to the development of AI technologies," Li said when introducing this year's government work tasks.

He said China will enhance education equity and quality.

"We will improve the school-family-society collaboration mechanism to ensure that students are physically and mentally healthy and realize well-rounded development," he said.

The premier also said the county will strengthen basic medical and health services through multiple concrete measures.

"Government subsidies for basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents will be raised by 24 yuan per person. We will improve social security and social services. Minimum basic old-age benefits for rural and non-working urban residents will be raised by 20 yuan per month," Li said.

China will better satisfy the intellectual and cultural needs of our people, Li said.

"We will enhance the systematic protection, management, and proper use of cultural heritage, and boost high-quality development of cultural tourism and cultivate diversified forms of business featuring the integration of culture, tourism, sports, and commerce. We will build sports venues and facilities close to people’s homes and ensure they are put to best use. We will also launch more distinctive recreational sports events," he said.

China to take stronger measures to improve people's wellbeing: report

China to take stronger measures to improve people's wellbeing: report

China's science and technology sector made rapid progress in 2025, with the country's scientific and technological strength reaching a new level and a host of achievements emerging, said Yin Hejun, minister of science and technology on Thursday.

During a group interview at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing following the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Yin offered an overview of China's sci-tech development and achievements in 2025.

"China's sci-tech sector has witnessed rapid development, with its scientific and technological strength ascending to new heights. The country has climbed to the 10th position in the global innovation ranking. China's gross domestic research and development spending in 2025 exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan (about 568 billion U.S. dollars), with the spending intensity reaching 2.8 percent. Basic research investment approached 280 billion yuan (about 41 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 7.08 percent of the total -- topping 7 percent for the first time and hitting a historic high," said the minister.

Yin also highlighted the bounty of breakthroughs in China's sci-tech sector over the past year.

"A flourishing array of scientific and technological achievements has emerged. Humanoid robots dazzled audiences at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, evolving from performing Yangge folk dance and twirling handkerchiefs last year to turning somersaults and starring in comedy skits this year, showcasing a versatile repertoire of skills. China's open-source large language models now lead the world, and new breakthroughs have been made in chip research and development. Moreover, and innovative drugs have seen robust growth. A total of 76 innovative drugs were approved last year, with cross-border out-licensing deals exceeding 130 billion U.S. dollars. Technology has empowered industries across the board, significantly improving people's quality of life," he said.

The fourth session of the 14th NPC kicked off on Thursday and is set to conclude on March 12.

China's scientific and technological strength reaches a new level in 2025: minister

China's scientific and technological strength reaches a new level in 2025: minister

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