China to improve economic, social and cultural rights: action plan

BEIJING - China will make more efforts in eradicating poverty and improving public service system, said a government action plan released on Thursday.

The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020), released by the Information Office of the State Council, said the Chinese government will steadily enhance the level of equal access to basic public services and protect citizens' economic, social and cultural rights.

More proactive employment policies will be implemented with a training system of lifelong vocational skills provided to workers, said the action plan, adding that a wage and benefits system and a long-term safety production mechanism will be further improved.

It said that full efforts will be made to reduce poverty, and ensure basic housing, clean water, food security, and convenient transportation.

By 2020, 30 million people shall be lifted out of poverty by way of developing specialty industries, 10 million by way of transfer employment, 10 million by relocation to other areas, and the remaining 20 million, who have partially or completely lost the ability to work, shall be covered by social security.

In this way, all of the impoverished rural population according to the current standards shall be lifted out of poverty and no county will be called a "poverty county" by then.

China will improve systems covering social insurance, property rights, and basic medical and health needs. It is expected that the average life expectancy shall increase by one year by 2020, the action plan said.

China will implement the 13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Education (2016-2020) to enhance the quality of education. By 2020 the average years of schooling for the working-age population shall reach 10.8 years.

The action plan also stressed to improve public cultural services and implement the strictest possible system of environmental protection.