China is going to legislate on minimum subsistence allowance to improve the
living conditions of the needy, Premier Wen Jiabao told a press conference on
Friday following the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's
Congress, the country's top legislature.
He said that China is
considering to establish a plan on urban and rural medicare reform which will
also eventually be complete with system guarantees.
China has already
legislated on the elimination of agricultural tax and agricultural specialty
property tax as well as the free nine-year compulsory education.
"Once
system guarantee is in place, things will not change easily. Neither will they
change with government and leadership," he said.
Wen said that the
ultimate goal of China's reform and construction was to satisfy the people's
increasing material and cultural demand. To reach the goal, China must address
the issue of the people's well-being, which includes clothing, food, housing and
transporting.
"The most imminent one is to secure the equal opportunity
of the general public to education," he said.
Wen said that the
government would look to the disadvantaged group, especially farmers, to solve
the problems concerning people 's livelihood.
"The speed of a fleet is
not determined by the ship which travels the fastest, but the one that travels
the slowest. If we improve the living conditions of those in difficulty, we
improve the well-being of the whole society," he said.
To ensure all the
people can live a happy life, "the key is to secure their democratic rights and
to promote equality and justice, " the Premier said.
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