China vows greater support for disabled

China aims to improve its support and protection of disabled people by offering them more customized public services and products in the next five years, according to a State Council plan released Wednesday.

China is striving for "Xiaokang," or a more all-round prosperous society, by 2020. Wednesday's plan for more disability-related development between 2016 and 2020, described disabled people as key "participants, constructors and beneficiaries" of such a society.

According to the plan, impoverished disabled people in rural areas will become a key target in the country's poverty-relief efforts and enjoy support policies more precisely catered to their lives.

A basic disability welfare system will be set up to ensure disabled people's basic livelihoods, with improved efforts to help them find jobs and create startups.

The plan noted that public services in disability prevention, rehabilitation, education, as well as cultural and sports activities were to be standardized to boost service efficiency and quality.

The country will also step up legislative efforts to provide legal protection and supervision over the employment, education, social benefits and other aspects of disabled people's lives.

The plan called for more international exchange and cooperation in disability-related charity, volunteer services, and urged the government to increase investment in training more specialized personnel and developing technologies to help disabled people.

Local governments were told to draft their own schedules to help disabled people and make them a key part of local economic and social development plans. Endi