China to deliver more tangible benefits to people: official

China's 2026 Government Work Report emphasizes greater focus on improving people's livelihoods as the country endeavors to deliver more tangible benefits to the public, an official said at a State Council Information Office briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

China will take stronger measures to improve people's wellbeing in the coming year, according to the government work report submitted Thursday to the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's supreme organ of state power, 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 NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Shen Danyang, director of the State Council Research Office and head of the Government Work Report drafting team, said the priority of people's wellbeing has been a highlight in the government work reports in recent years.

"This year's report places greater emphasis on improving people's livelihoods, with measures more closely aligned with public concerns. For instance, it stresses that fiscal policy will give higher priority to supporting livelihood guarantees, proposes the formulation and implementation of plans to increase urban and rural residents' incomes, and calls for increasing the share of government investment directed toward livelihood-related areas. These efforts fully reflect the commitment to people-centered development, and demonstrate the government's orientation toward delivering tangible benefits to the public by doing more practical and meaningful work for the people, thereby enhancing their sense of gain in real terms," said Shen. Shen said that this year's report also emphasizes practical operability. The major tasks and policy measures outlined in the report were proposed after thorough assessment, prioritizing pragmatism, feasibility, and implementation.

He cited examples such as establishing a 100-billion-yuan (over 14.5 billion U.S. dollars) fund to boost domestic demand, raising living standards subsidies, and integrating regular assistance to low-income rural residents and less-developed areas into the coordinated implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.

The report underscores the need to firmly establish and practice a correct understanding of what it means to perform well and act accordingly, insisting on delivering results for the people and achieving accomplishments through hard work, said the official.

China to deliver more tangible benefits to people: official

China has set a new grain production capacity target of approximately 725 million tonnes in the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), aiming to strengthen the country's control over food security amid global uncertainties, an expert said on Thursday.

Grain production capacity forms the foundation for stable output, and the proposed target builds on steady gain output achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), said Tu Shengwei, a researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission.

"Over the recent years, through the implementation of a new initiative to boost grain production capacity by 50 million tonnes, China's grain production capacity has been continuously strengthened. So we have a solid foundation to achieve this new target," Tu said.

The proposed target reflects the country's ambition to attain a higher level of food security in the coming five years, Tu said.   "Amid the highly complex international landscape and frequent, severe natural disasters, we must intensify the implementation of the food crop production strategy of improving farmland management and increasing the application of technology. By stepping up the new initiative to boost grain production capacity by 50 million tonnes and stabilizing production capacity at this level, we can respond to environmental uncertainties with stable capacity, hold the initiative in grain security more firmly, and create more room for macroeconomic regulation. This will also lay a stronger foundation for achieving other economic and social development goals during the 15th Five-Year Plan period," Tu said.

The grain production target is part of the broader draft outline for national economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, which is currently being deliberated by lawmakers and political advisors at China's ongoing "two sessions."

The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Both bodies serve a five-year term and hold a plenary session each year, generally in March.

The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.

New grain production capacity target to strengthen China's food security: expert