China's life expectancy to hit 77 by 2020

BEIJING - China's average life expectancy will increase to 77 years by 2020 from 74.83 years in 2010, according to an  official forecast released Friday.

Targets for improving life expectancy, as well as nine other key indicators of the country's public health, including maternal and child mortality rates, were set in a strategic report issued by the Ministry of Health.

The report said national healthcare input should amount to 6.5 to 7 percent of the gross domestic product by 2020. The ratio stood at 4.98 percent in 2010, based on a 2 trillion yuan ($314 billion) annual healthcare budget.

The report also highlighted efforts to narrow the healthcare gap between different regions by introducing dedicated action plans for poverty-stricken areas.