China outlines key tasks for ecological conservation
我国列出生态保护重点任务
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, on Thursday specified key tasks it will undertake to conserve the ecological environment.
The NDRC will act to advance reform in ecological conservation and promote green, low-carbon and high-quality development, said Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the commission, at an event held in the city of Sanming, East China's Fujian province, to mark National Ecology Day.
The commission will work actively, but prudently, towards achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, will step up efforts to protect the ecological environment, and strengthen international cooperation in green and low-carbon development, he added.
The NDRC will implement fiscal, tax, financial, investment and pricing policies as well as standards to support green and low-carbon development, Zhao noted.
The official also pledged to refine the mechanisms for realizing the market value of ecosystem goods and services, advance comprehensive compensation for ecological conservation, and improve the trans-regional compensation mechanism for ecological conservation.
Meanwhile, the NDRC will deepen international cooperation concerning the circular economy, promote the export of advanced technologies, products, standards and business models for green and low-carbon development, and actively participate in global climate governance, Zhao remarked.
Last year, China's top legislature voted to designate Aug 15 as the country's National Ecology Day -- with the aim of enhancing public awareness and actions to protect the ecological environment.
Premier Li Qiang called on Thursday for all-out efforts in flood control and disaster relief, in order to protect people's lives and property as China faces the most critical stage of this year's flood season.
Li made the remarks when visiting people affected by flooding and inspected flood prevention efforts in Chenzhou, Hunan province. The province in Central China has recently experienced several rounds of torrential rainfall, which has led to severe flooding and geological disasters in some areas.
As of noon on Thursday, 30 people had died and 35 were still missing in Zixing, a city under the jurisdiction of Chenzhou, since extreme weather conditions related to Typhoon Gaemi hit the area starting on July 26.
After hearing about the situation in one village in Zixing, Li urged all-out search and rescue efforts, saying that no stone should be left unturned. He also called for restoring critical infrastructure such as roads and power supply and closely guarding against secondary disasters.
While visiting a relocation center, he asked disaster-affected residents about their living conditions and encouraged them to work together to rebuild their homes. All parties should concentrate resources and efforts to help the disaster-stricken areas restore normal production and daily life as soon as possible, Li said.
The premier then held an on-site meeting to hear briefings by officials from local authorities and central government departments.
Li said flood prevention and control efforts are at a critical stage, because the flood crest is still ahead and there are risks of embankment breaches and waterlogging.
Authorities must coordinate their efforts in prevention and rescue work, maximize efforts to reduce disaster risks, and minimize disaster-related losses, he said.
The safety of people's lives should always be the top priority, with enhanced monitoring, early warnings and coordinated emergency responses, including the prompt evacuation of residents from high-risk areas, he said.
The premier said efforts must be strengthened in patrolling, addressing risks, conducting rescue operations and scientifically managing flood control projects.
According to the Ministry of Finance, as of Wednesday, China has allocated 11.5 billion yuan ($1.59 billion) so far this year to assist in disaster relief.
The Zixing headquarters for flood and drought prevention announced that communication and road access were resumed on Thursday in the eight most severely affected townships, search and rescue efforts continued, and authorities would not give up hope of finding missing people.
Heavy rainfall has affected 1.15 million people in Hunan since July 26, forcing the evacuation of 95,000 people, local authorities said on Wednesday.
Zhou Sha, who works for the Changsha-based China Construction Fifth Engineering Division Corp, said that zigzagging mountain roads have hampered rescue efforts.
The State-owned enterprise has sent more than 30 people as of Wednesday to repair more than 40 sections of road affected by mudslides, and to clear the roads leading to four villages, Zhou said.
"All the people are eager to contribute our expertise in search and rescue efforts, and it is our duty to make the most efforts in times of need," she added.
Policies stress full life-cycle services
我国发布政策强调全生命周期服务
A senior plays Chinese chess with her grandson at a park in Beijing in May 2021. China plans to redouble its efforts in improving the quality of human resources and boosting the provision of childcare and basic elderly care services to promote its high-quality demographic development, according to a key policy document and experts.
Declining birthrates and a rapidly aging society are defining features of China's demography, according to a resolution adopted last month by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Cai Fang, chief expert of the National High-end Think Tank, a division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in 2022, China's total population began declining and the ratio of people age 65 and above exceeded 14 percent — a sign of entering a moderately aged society.
Last year, the nation's total population fell by 0.148 percent year-on-year and the proportion of seniors further rose to 15.4 percent.
"The document's call for instituting a system to provide full life-cycle population services and advance high-quality population development is aimed at adjusting to these emerging demographic features," he said.
A "full-cycle" system should encompass all aspects of livelihood, from marriage and childcare to employment, medical services and housing, and should take all age groups into consideration, Cai said in an article explaining the document.
Li Tongping, an economics and demography professor at China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, Hubei province, said that the rising education and health levels of Chinese people in recent decades have laid a solid foundation for further upgrading human resources quality.
Official data shows that the gross enrollment rate for China's nine-year compulsory education has reached 95.7 percent, and the enrollment rate for high schools has risen to 91.8 percent. The gross university enrollment rate has exceeded 60 percent.
"The average life expectancy in China has also increased to 78.2 years," he said. "These are all significant achievements in bolstering the quality and capabilities of the population, and stronger and continuous efforts are needed."
The policy document also calls for building a fertility-friendly society, which entails measures to advance systems related to maternity leave, maternity subsidies, and maternal and child healthcare, as well as to roll out tax-deduction policies for childrearing and bolstering nursery care services.
Panzhihua, a city in Sichuan province that became the first nationwide to offer cash for parents with a second or third child in 2021, announced last week that it will soon begin to give nursery care subsidies for babies age 3 or younger. The new measure is aimed at further reducing the child-rearing costs of families, said the local government.
Cai said that as regions across the nation are rolling out subsidies linked to newborns, it is now important to consolidate these different policies, increase the subsidies and expand their coverage.
He added that regulations should be established regarding maternity, paternity and parental leave, as well as breastfeeding breaks, to foster a work environment that is friendly for parents with childcare responsibilities.
China began allowing personal income tax deductions for taking care of children age 3 and under in early 2022 and doubled the reduction to 2,000 yuan ($274) last year. "Future tax deduction policies should consider increasing the age threshold of babies and raising the deductible ratio," he added.
The policy document also highlights that a range of nursery care services, such as home-based, community or workplace nursery care facilities, should be developed simultaneously while the emphasis should be placed on government-subsidized and affordable services.
Cai added that in 2023, the proportion of people age 65 and older in China stood at nearly 220 million. "Such a massive amount of elderly and senior workers is a strong force in terms of human resources and a group of consumers with significant demand," he said.
Cai said that many people reaching 60 — the statutory retirement age for most workers in China — are still willing to continue working and are capable of doing so. Delaying retirement should be based on a voluntary and flexible principle and conducted in an orderly and gradual manner as stated in the document, in order to tap into the potential of the workforce and help sustain China's pension system, he said.
Li, the professor, added that as the document lays out a series of tasks for developing the gray economy and boosting public and private elderly care services, the focus should be on ensuring the provision of basic and affordable elderly care services and guaranteeing their coverage in urban and rural areas.
He said that China has issued a basic elderly care catalog that pays special attention to elderly people with disabilities or financial difficulties, as well as those at a very advanced age. The list also encompasses fundamental services such as basic elderly care insurance and elderly care subsidies.
"Basic public services aimed at caring for the elderly should be prioritized," he said.
From: Chinadaily.com.cn
《城市规划（英文版）》
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