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Speakers:

Mr. Li Zhong, vice minister of human resources and social security

Mr. Lu Aihong, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) and director general of the Policy Research Department of the MOHRSS

Mr. Song Xin, deputy director general of the Employment Promotion Department of the MOHRSS

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Sept. 24, 2024

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), as part of the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Li Zhong, vice minister of human resources and social security, to brief you on relevant developments and to take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Lu Aihong, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) and director general of the Policy Research Department of the MOHRSS; and Mr. Song Xin, deputy director general of the Employment Promotion Department of the MOHRSS.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Li for his introduction.

Li Zhong:

Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I am very pleased to attend this press conference. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude for your continued interest in and support for the developments in the human resources and social security sector.

In advancing Chinese modernization, we prioritize people's wellbeing. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to ensuring and improving people's wellbeing, responding to people's new expectations for a better life, and arranging and promoting a series of major targeted and high value-added reforms to ensure a more complete and lasting sense of fulfillment, happiness and security for our people. In terms of employment, we continue to insist that employment is the most basic component of the people's wellbeing, advocate the employment-first strategy, enrich and develop a proactive employment policy, and improve relevant systems. The average annual number of newly-added urban jobs in China is 13 million, and the number of employed individuals from poverty-stricken backgrounds remains stable at over 30 million, maintaining overall stability in the employment sector. In terms of social security, we have brought the development of the social security system onto a fast track and successfully built the world's largest social security network. We have strengthened the top-level design, and continuously improved the basic old-age insurance, unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance. We work to see that everyone has access to social security, and the number of insured people has continued to rise. We have steadily increased various social security benefits, continued to expand the scale of fund surplus, and continuously optimized management services. All these have laid a solid foundation for improving the people's wellbeing, economic development and social harmony.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made systematic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively, improving the people's quality of life, and emphasizing that ensuring and enhancing the people's wellbeing in the course of development is one of the major tasks of Chinese modernization. Focusing on ensuring and improving the people's wellbeing, it clarified a series of major reforms such as improving the employment-first policy and social security system, and gradually raising the statutory retirement age. The MOHRSS will adhere to the people-centered reforms, develop sound mechanisms for promoting high-quality and full employment, and improve the multi-tiered social security system that covers the entire population in urban and rural areas and see that it is fair, unified, reliable, well-regulated, and sustainable. We will ensure the implementation of reforms with relentless perseverance, and make positive contributions to high-quality development.

That is all for my introduction. Now, my colleagues and I are ready to answer your questions. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Li. The floor is now open for questions. Please state the name of the news organization you represent before asking your question.