Investment in social fields up 12.4% in 2003
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-03-05 09:50

China accelerated the development of social undertakings on the basis of an overall consideration of all issues last year, Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Friday in a government work report delivered at the opening of the annual session of the national legislature.

The spread of SARS exposed problems arising from disparities between economic and social development, and the government promptly made necessary adjustments to its priorities and investment to stimulate the development of social undertakings, he said.

The central government spent 85.5 billion yuan (US$10.3 billion) in 2003 on education, health, science and technology, culture and sports, 12. 4 percent more than the previous year.

Treasury bonds worth 16.3 billion yuan were issued to support the development of social undertakings, an increase of nearly 200 percent.

Last year, the government improved the national public health system, focusing on epidemic prevention and control and on rural areas. The National Plan for Developing an Information System for Public Health Monitoring and the National Plan for Developing a System for Medical Rescue and Treatment in Public Health Emergencies were formulated and implemented, and a system was set up for early warning and response for public health emergencies.

Public health infrastructure was improved, with the focus on networks spanning provincial, city (prefecture) and country levels for disease prevention and control.

The central government worked with local governments to build more rural health and medical institutions. Pilot projects for a new cooperative medical care system and medical assistance system were initiated in rural areas.

Last year, the premier said, the State Council issued the Decision on Further Strengthening Rural Education. Increased financial support was extended to rural education from the central budget and treasury bonds. Priority was given to subsidizing rural teachers' salaries in the central and western regions, renovating dangerous primary and secondary school buildings, carrying out pilot projects in modern distance education and aiding needy students.

Many cities began to make schooling available for the children of migrant rural workers, and the governments of those cities took over primary administrative responsibility.

Great progress was made last year in basic research, strategically important hi-tech research, and industrial application of new and high technologies. The State Council began formulating a national medium- to long-range program for scientific and technological development.

Reform of the cultural system and the development of cultural undertakings were vigorously promoted. Efforts were intensified to rectify the cultural products and services market. Fresh achievements were made in amateur and competitive sports.

The premier said population and family planning work was further strengthened, with fresh progress made in the areas of land and resources administration, environmental protection, forestry development and ecological improvement.

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