(3) Children's rights

Centering around the "children first" principle, the government will endeavor to realize the goals set in the Program for the Development of Children of China(2001-2010), making every effort to guarantee children's rights to life, development and participation in various affairs.

- Improving law and policy making for the juvenile population. Correlative regulations to the Law on the Protection of Minors will be revised at provincial levels, and supportive regulations to the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency will be made by local governments.

- Guaranteeing children's right to health. Cases of children under five suffering serious malnutrition will drop by one-fourth from that of 2000. Children's health care coverage will reach 90 percent in urban areas, and 60 percent in rural areas, and 90 percent of elementary and middle school students should pass the "National Physical Exercises Standards" test.

- Promoting children's participation. The state will create an environment and opportunities to expand children's participation in family, school, community and social affairs in line with children's physical and psychological development. Children's right to get access to necessary information will be guaranteed through the joint efforts of media, publishing, radio, television and film agencies.

- Prohibiting the employment of child labor. Any individual or entity using child labor will face severe punishment.

- Preventing and cracking down on the crimes of abducting and trafficking in children. The government will establish and improve a rescuing mechanism to help children rescued from abduction integrate again into society, and help them with practical difficulties in life, legal rights, rehabilitation and other problems.

- Reinforcing judicial protection for juveniles' rights. People's courts will, if needed, set up special departments for the trial of juvenile delinquency cases and cases involving the protection of juveniles' rights. In accordance with the actual needs, public security organs and people's procuratorates will set up special working departments for the handling of juvenile delinquency cases or appoint special staff to deal with such cases. Efforts will be made to educate and rehabilitate juvenile delinquents, and communities should play a more important role in helping them return to society. For young victims of crimes, physical and psychological rehabilitation will be provided.

- Protecting disadvantaged children's rights. Families are encouraged to adopt or foster orphans and disabled children. For disadvantaged children with relatives, the guardianship system will be strengthened, with help from society. Welfare centers for children will be standardized. By 2010, every major prefecture-level city will have one welfare center for children's rearing, protection, rehabilitation and education. In cities at and above the prefecture level and key counties(districts), a batch of well-equipped sheltering centers for homeless children will be established. For children with eyesight, hearing, language or intelligence problems, special education will be provided.

- Protecting girls' rights. Identifying the sex of a fetus for other than medical purposes and termination of pregnancy in the case of a female fetus are strictly prohibited. Crimes of killing or abandoning baby girls will be severely punished.