Zhu made the remarks during an inspection tour of northeastern Liaoning Province.

According to a Xinhua report, Zhu visited residential communities, a community vocational training center, a medicare station and a kindergarten in the cities of Shenyang and Fushun this week.

Zhu said the system, which includes programs for endowment insurance, unemployment insurance and minimum living expenses, had proven successful in reforming State-owned enterprises and retain social stability.

Success in this traditional industry base was crucial to the system's application in other areas, Zhu said.

(China Daily July 25, 2002)