China’s Top Political Advisors Speak about Benefiting Society and People

China’s top political advisors met the press for questions on benefiting society and the people during the Fifth Session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee on March 9 in Beijing.

At the press conference, five CPPCC National Committee members – Huang Jiefu, a member of the CPPCC National Committee; Wang Wenbiao, chairman of Elion Resources Group; Xu Jiayin, chairman of Evergrande Group; Hu Xiaoyi, chief of China Social Security Association; and Robin Li, CEO of Baidu – responded to press concerns on how to achieve targeted poverty alleviation, improve medical services, and promote the development of the nursing industry and environmental protection in China.

Battle against Poverty

China aims to eradicate rural poverty by 2020 through industrial development, relocation and education, said Xu. For now, over 40 million Chinese people still live in poverty, and most of them reside in a weak ecological environment.

When asked about enterprises’ role in poverty eradication, Xu said major means include building up agricultural cooperatives, developing industries conforming to the features of different areas, and bringing together enterprises along the upper or lower reaches of the industrial chains.

Around 22,000 Chinese private companies have been offering targeted assistance to over 20,000 villages since 2016 to fight poverty, Wang said. He believes that the opportunities to earn a living and enjoy a good ecological environment should both be pursued.

Tackle Aging Problems

China is facing structural problems such as the imbalance of pension funds in different areas and the increasing pressure of pension payments in the future, Hu said. In China, the number of people over the age of 60 exceeded 230 million in 2016 as improved living conditions extended Chinese people’s average life expectancy.

The Chinese government has taken targeted measures such as a healthcare plan to cover all people, Hu said, to tackle the problems brought about by an aging population. More financial support from the government, social security funds facilitated by national capital, and more earnings with well-operated investments are needed, Hu added.

At the conference, Huang said that China will push ahead the integration of medical care and nursing services and introduce social capital into the nursing industry. Over 10 million jobs will be created through the development of nursing, which also plays a crucial role in economic growth, Huang added.

Strive for a Better Environment

More green land in cities will help improve the environment, together with reducing emissions and restructuring the energy supply, Wang said. Strengthening ecological governance for a better environment is covered in this year’s government work report, which reflects a common call from all levels of society to solve environmental pollution.

The market for battling soil, water and air pollution in China is estimated at billions of yuan, Wang said, and this is an opportunity for enterprises to earn profits and contribute to public welfare simultaneously.