China will further improve its rural social security framework, Minister of Civil Affairs Li Xueju said on Wednesday in a report to the eighth session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for review.

Li said a basic social security framework comprising the subsistence allowance, cooperative medical care, medical assistance and disaster relief systems had been set up in China's vast rural areas.

As of the end of last year, the subsistence allowance, the cooperative medical program (under which rural residents and governments jointly contribute to a cooperative fund) and medical assistance for impoverished farmers covered all counties with a rural population, he said.

China had also made much progress in covering rural migrant workers and farmers with appropriated land with social security, and the country was exploring the establishment of a rural old-age pension system, he said.

From 2003 to 2008, central fiscal authorities allocated 41.6 billion yuan (US$6.1 billion) for the rural cooperative medical care program, 6.66 billion yuan for rural medical assistance and 74.5 billion yuan as living subsidies for farmers affected by natural disasters.

Li said despite these achievements, rural social security work still faced many problems. He cited unbalanced regional development, backward system construction and weak management at the grassroots level.

He vowed to further support rural social security work in the years to come, increase investment and extend welfare to more farmers.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2009)