Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Tang Dengjie, minister of civil affairs

Mr. Zhan Chengfu, vice minister of civil affairs

Mr. Li Baojun, spokesperson of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and director general of the General Office of the MCA

Mr. Liu Xitang, director general of the Department of Social Assistance of the MCA

Mr. Yu Jianliang, director general of the Department of Elderly Service of the MCA

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Sept. 12, 2023

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the 24th briefing in the series "Embarking on the New Journey — A Government Perspective." Today, we have invited Mr. Tang Dengjie, minister of civil affairs, to brief you on promoting the high-quality development of civil affairs work, and to take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Zhan Chengfu, vice minister of civil affairs; Mr. Li Baojun, spokesperson of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and director general of the General Office of the MCA; Mr. Liu Xitang, director general of the Department of Social Assistance of the MCA; and Mr. Yu Jianliang, director general of the Department of Elderly Service of the MCA.

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

Tang Dengjie:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, my colleagues and I are very glad to meet you today and share with you the MCA's work in the first year of fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). First, on behalf of the MCA, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your continued care and support for the civil affairs work. 

Civil affairs work relates to people's livelihoods and resonates with their sentiments. It ensures that public services can secure the basic living standards of those most in need and meet essential needs. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to civil affairs work, and the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have made a series of important deployments. As a result, historic achievements and transformations have been secured in the undertaking of civil affairs, greatly contributing to the nation's reform, development and stability.

The 20th CPC National Congress drew up an inspiring blueprint of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, made the deployment of advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, and set up the major tasks of improving the people's well-being and raising their quality of life. The civil affairs departments hence undertake such glorious responsibilities and missions along the new journey toward building a stronger nation and realizing national rejuvenation. Since the beginning of this year, all levels of civil affairs departments have thoroughly implemented the decisions and deployments made by the 20th CPC National Congress, and held themed educational activities for the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. In accordance with the general requirements of studying the Thought, enhancing Party consciousness, emphasizing practices and making new achievements, the civil affairs authorities have strived to forge inner strength, enhance intelligence, improve conduct and advance their work through learning, so as to break new ground on the new journey toward the high-quality development of civil affairs work in the new era. Our work is reflected in the following respects:

We have earnestly fulfilled our responsibilities of ensuring the basic living standards of extremely vulnerable groups, and continued to improve people's well-being and promote common prosperity. We have borne in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's expectations of "giving special attention, care and support to extremely vulnerable groups," and upheld the principles of meeting basic needs, helping those most in need, providing timely help to those in urgent need and ensuring sustainability. We have continued to improve the multi-tiered and categorized social assistance system that prioritizes basic living assistance, targeted social assistance and emergency social relief and is supplemented by social assistance forces, with the aim of ensuring the basic livelihoods of extremely vulnerable groups. This year, we have focused on expanding the reach of the subsistence allowance policy and bolstering support for those just outside the margin of eligibility and those facing expenditure-related hardship. We have advanced the provision of local temporary relief for people with urgent or special needs, established effective mechanisms for coordinating government assistance and charitable support, and promoted a holistic assistance approach that combines material aid with services. We have improved measures to support orphans and de facto orphans, and enhanced the service capabilities of child welfare institutions. We have strengthened targeted management in providing living allowances for people with disabilities in need and paying nursing costs for people with severe disabilities. Through a multi-pronged approach and strengthened accountability, we have woven a tight and robust safety net to provide a cushion for those most in need.

We have thoroughly implemented a proactive national strategy in response to population aging and strived to develop elderly care programs and services to improve the quality of life for elderly people. At the 20th CPC National Congress, major plans were made for pursuing a proactive national strategy in response to population aging and making basic elderly care available to the entire elderly population. This year, the reform of Party and state institutions has strengthened the MCA's responsibilities for coordinating, supervising, guiding, organizing, and promoting elderly care work. The civil affairs authorities at all levels have fully implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and focused their work on meeting elderly people's needs for basic elderly care. We have accelerated the establishment of a sustainable basic elderly care system that covers the entire elderly population, with clearly defined rights and responsibilities and appropriate levels of support so as to ensure a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security for our elderly people. This year, our focus is on the implementation of institutional reform plans. We have improved the systems and mechanisms for elderly care work, guided all localities to formulate and improve a list of basic elderly care services, and supported all localities in improving at-home and community elderly care services. We have also carried out age-friendly home renovation projects for elderly people with special difficulties, guided and supported elderly care institutions to increase their supply of nursing beds, formulated policies and measures to develop elderly care services in rural areas, and stepped up training of elderly care personnel.

We have actively improved social governance and public services involving civil affairs work to better serve high-quality development. In terms of social organization management, we have continued improving a system to support, guide, supervise, and manage social organizations. We provided guidance for social organizations to pair up with and provide support for 160 key counties that were designated to receive assistance for rural revitalization and provide support for the employment of college graduates. Also, we encouraged industry associations and chambers of commerce at all levels to ease burdens on enterprises, launched special actions to crack down on illegal social organizations, and further leveraged the active role of social organizations in serving the people, enterprises, industries, and society. In terms of the development of charity, we held the 12th China Charity Awards ceremony, improved policies and measures to promote the development of public interest activities and charity, and provided guidance for more enterprises, social organizations, and individuals who have the desire and ability to participate in charitable and public-interest initiatives. In terms of public services, we actively streamlined and improved the government review and approval process as well as related procedures, expanded pilot programs for inter-provincial marriage registration, carried out actions to manage rural geographical names, and ensured more government services are handled at one-stop service locations, accessible online, or via cellphone applications so as to bring more convenience and benefit to the people and enterprises.

On the new journey, the civil affairs authorities at all levels will resolutely advocate the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We will enhance cohesion and forge inner strength with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and fully implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on civil affairs work and the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Always keeping the country's most fundamental interests in mind, we will pursue the high-quality development of civil affairs work and make our contribution to building a modern socialist country in all respects.

That concludes my introduction to our civil affairs work. Next, my colleagues and I are happy to communicate with you and answer your questions. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Tang. Now, you are welcome to raise questions. Please identify the news organization you represent before asking your questions.

Nanfang Metropolis Daily:

This March, the plan on reforming of Party and state institutions specified efforts to improve the elderly care work mechanism, and strengthened the MCA's responsibilities for promoting elderly care programs. My question is, as the problem of population aging becomes more serious, what are the MCA's considerations for the next step for promoting the development of both elderly care programs and elderly care services? Thank you.

Tang Dengjie:

Thanks for your question. Population aging is a problem facing most countries in the world, and also a major issue we must tackle in advancing Chinese modernization. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work related to population aging. It profoundly expounded the importance of addressing population aging from a strategic perspective, systematically clarified the principles and approaches to tackle this problem, and fully deployed the tasks and measures to promote related work, thereby providing sound guidance and strong guarantee for improving our response to population aging in the new era. The 20th CPC National Congress stressed that "we will pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population aging, develop elderly care programs and services, and provide better services for elderly people who live alone. By doing so, we can ensure that basic elderly care is accessible to the entire elderly population." These remarks pointed out the direction and tasks of our efforts in the new era. This year, China released a plan on reforming Party and state institutions, and efforts were specified to improve the elderly-care work mechanism, with such functions as formulating and coordinating the implementation of policies and measures to address population aging transferred to the MCA. This is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee to pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population aging. The MCA has earnestly implemented the task of institutional reform, and deepened understanding of its mission. We will make good use of the important window of opportunity during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), and make efforts to boost elderly care programs and services in the following three aspects. In doing so, we will blaze a new path for responding to population aging in a way that is suited to the realities of China and features Chinese characteristics.

First, the MCA will strengthen the Party's overall leadership over the work on population aging and further improve the related work mechanism. We must ensure that the Party fully exert its core role in providing overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides. We will improve the work mechanism on addressing populating aging to form a strong synergy, featuring the Party committees' leadership, law-based government administration, close coordination among departments, and active participation of people's organizations. The General Office of the China National Committee on Aging will strengthen its functions of coordinating, supervising, guiding, organizing, and advancing the development of elderly care programs. A multi-faceted framework will be formed to guarantee the work to tackle population aging at all levels will be done, elderly people's issues will be managed, and their difficulties will be resolved. The elderly-care work will be included in the economic and social development plans at all levels, on the agenda of local Party committees and governments, in the performance evaluation system of relevant departments at all levels, and in the working list to address the people's practical concerns. All of these will provide a strong guarantee for the development of elderly care programs.

Second, the MCA will fully implement the decisions and deployments on addressing population aging made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and work continuously to make new progress to ensure care, medical services, social participation, education, and recreation for the elderly. We will continuously improve the social security system and basic old-age insurance system, develop a multi-tiered and multi-pillar old-age insurance system, and institute an insurance system to support long-term care. The health support system will be optimized to constantly improve health management and services for elderly people. We will work faster to build a system of domestic, community, and institutional elderly care services to meet different medical and health care needs. Basic, domestic, and community elderly care services will be promoted, including catering and age-friendly home renovation for elderly people. We will also improve county-level, township-level, and village-level elderly care service networks in rural areas and optimize the comprehensive regulatory system for elderly care services.

Third, the MCA will continuously guide and mobilize the whole of society to join our efforts and promote the concept of healthy and active aging throughout economic and social development. More aging-related education initiatives will be carried out to guide the whole of society to take a positive view of population aging, the elderly, and aging lives so as to pool broad consensus and joint efforts to address population aging. Policies will be improved and implemented to encourage elderly people to participate in social activities, and support them to play an active role in society. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress states the need to improve the basic public services system to raise public service standards. My question is, what policies has the MCA taken to strengthen basic public services and improve the level of convenience and benefits for the people?

Tang Dengjie:

Thank you for your question. Civil affairs work relates to people's livelihoods and their production and daily lives. The 20th CPC National Congress called for improving the basic public services system, adopting more measures that deliver real benefits to the people and win their approval, and working hard to resolve the pressing difficulties and problems that concern them most. In recent years, all levels of civil affairs departments have consistently improved and optimized management services, increased efforts to provide convenience and benefits to the people and enterprises, and focused on enhancing the level of services for the people.

Regarding this matter, Mr. Zhan will provide a detailed introduction.

Zhan Chengfu:

As Mr. Tang mentioned, in recent years, all levels of civil affairs departments have strengthened the convenience and benefits for the people and enterprises. In other words, we have delivered a series of convenient services, which have achieved their initial effects.

In the field of social assistance, we have implemented a "one-stop acceptance and coordinated processing" approach to streamline the application process for the public. In the field of elderly care services, we have carried out home adaption for households facing specific elderly care challenges, thereby enhancing the safety and convenience of their home life. In the field of services for individuals with mental health issues, we have launched a program to better cater to their rehabilitation needs within the community, facilitating their reintegration into family life and society. In the field of services for disabled individuals, we have launched activities for the leasing of rehabilitation aids, making these resources more accessible to those in need. In the field of marriage registration management, we have significantly expanded the scope of the pilot program for "interprovincial marriage registration" for Chinese mainland residents this year. The program has been extended from seven to 21 provinces, covering 78.5% of China's total population. It can be said that this meets the needs of the majority of the people who require marriage registration in different provinces. In the field of the disability welfare, we have implemented the "interprovincial application" process for two disability subsidies, as well as introduced the same approach for orphans and children without parental care. At the same time, we have launched the "rural renaming action" and promoted "internet + place naming services" to facilitate travel and transportation for the public, thereby contributing to rural revitalization. We have also launched targeted initiatives in collaboration with industry associations and chambers of commerce to alleviate the burden on enterprises. This involves rectifying unlawful and irregular fees charged by these organizations and comprehensively standardizing legal and reasonable fee structures. According to our preliminary statistics, these measures have lightened the financial burden on enterprises by approximately 1.8 billion yuan, effectively helping alleviate difficulties faced by many market entities.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that what the CPC pursues is to improve people's livelihoods. What we have done is still some distance away from the requirements made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the expectations of the people. For the next step, we will further optimize various civil affairs services for the people to improve their sense of gain. We are open to supervision, criticism, and encouragement from all media friends who are present here. Thank you.

China News Service:

We have noticed that, for the first time, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress has taken advancing the rule of law as a separate section and made arrangements accordingly. Some people believe this fully shows that the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to exercising law-based governance on all fronts. I would like to ask, regarding the law-based governance in the field of civil affairs, what progress has been made by the MCA? What considerations and plans does the MCA have for the next step? Thank you.

Tang Dengjie:

Thank you for your questions. Further studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and earnestly implementing the major arrangements on advancing the rule of law made by the 20th CPC National Congress remain important requirements for us to ensure the high-quality development of civil affairs services and guarantee the basic rights and interests of the people utilizing our civil affairs services. Mr. Li will elaborate on your questions.

Li Baojun:

As widely recognized, the rule of law works as a safeguard to consolidate the foundation, stabilize expectations, and deliver long-term benefits. In recent years, the MCA has adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, comprehensively implemented the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, deeply studied and meticulously practiced Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and achieved noticeable progress. Next, I will outline our progress from the following three aspects: legislation, law enforcement, and law popularization.

Regarding legislation, centering around our responsibilities to ensure people's basic livelihood, community-level social governance, and basic social services, the MCA has promoted the formulation and revision of six laws and regulations, including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Minors, the Regulations on the Management of Administrative Divisions, and the Regulations on the Administration of Geographic Names. The MCA has also led the drafting of four formulation or revision drafts of laws and regulations, including the Law on Social Assistance, the Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations, and the Regulations on the Management of Funeral and Burial. The MCA has also, separately or jointly with relevant departments, formulated and revised six departmental regulations including management measures for elderly care institutions and child welfare institutions. So far, China has launched a total of nine laws and 18 administrative regulations to standardize the functions of civil affairs departments. The MCA has also issued 45 regulations and rules and more than 170 administrative regulatory documents. In addition, local governments have rolled out over 800 local laws and regulations. It's fair to say that we have generally achieved law-based governance in the work of civil affairs. Meanwhile, in certain areas, there is still a lack of fundamental laws, and some policies and regulations fail to meet the requirements of the new era. Promoting legislation in these areas will be our focus for the next step.

In terms of law enforcement, the MCA has streamlined procedures relating to administrative licensing and canceled certification-associated matters made by departmental regulations and regulatory documents. In response to the prominent problems strongly reflected by the public, we have continuously carried out concentrated rectifications to address issues in rural subsistence allowances and cracked down on pension fraud and illegal social organizations. We have handled administrative reviews, responded to lawsuits in accordance with the law, and effectively promoted law-based governance in the field of civil affairs. For the next step, in accordance with the requirements of the report to the 20th CPC National Congress to steadily advance law-based government administration, we will adopt a more vigorous approach in exercising law-based governance, in alignment with the practical aspects of civil affairs. We will fully implement the lists of powers and obligations, improve the law-based decision-making mechanisms, upgrade administrative law enforcement procedures, and enhance the administrative law enforcement capacity.

Regarding the publicity of law, over the last few years, the MCA has implemented the seventh five-year plan on enhancing legal awareness across the national civil affairs system and formulated the eighth one. We have also held oath-taking ceremonies for newly appointed officials to pledge allegiance to the Constitution and carried out publicity activities centering around the Constitution, the Civil Code, the Charity Law, the Law on the Guarantee of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, and the Law on the Protection of Minors, which have achieved noticeable results. For the next step, we will continue to step up efforts to popularize the law. We will concentrate on issues of great concern, such as the protection of the rights and interests of the elderly, the disabled, and minors while guiding cadres and staff across our system to respect and abide by the law. We will intensify efforts to popularize the law in a timely and precise manner, promote public welfare through law popularization, and strive to achieve better results. Thank you.

Cover News:

Social organizations play an important role in China's modernization efforts. To our knowledge, there are nearly 900,000 social organizations in China to date. How has the MCA promoted the high-quality development of social organizations? Thank you.

Tang Dengjie:

Thank you for your question. This is a very good question. Social organizations are an important force in driving China's socialist modernization. Over recent years, we have strengthened the Party's overall leadership over these organizations, steering and supporting them to achieve well-regulated and orderly development and play a positive role. Concurrently, we have prevented and resolved risks and potential dangers related to social organizations. All these measures aim to continuously advance their high-quality development. For more information, I would like to invite Mr. Zhan Chengfu to give a more detailed introduction.

Zhan Chengfu:

Okay. As the reporter just said, there are currently nearly 900,000 social organizations in our country, encompassing every facet of the economy and society. To be more specific, among these, there are over 370,000 social groups, upwards of 510,000 non-enterprise private entities, such as privately-run kindergartens and schools, and approximately 10,000 foundations. These entities employ over 11 million people and have over 580 billion yuan in assets. Social organizations have made important contributions to the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, especially in our critical battle against poverty.

Since the beginning of this year, civil affairs departments at all levels have thoroughly implemented the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on social organization work and the major decisions and plans of the 20th CPC National Congress. With a key focus on promoting high-quality development as our primary objective, optimizing structural layout as the key approach, and serving the country and society as the mission, we have taken a series of measures to propel social organizations of all types and at all levels to make new contributions to the building of a stronger nation and national rejuvenation. The specific steps can be summarized as "five measures."

First, offering a correction direction. We remain committed to achieving unity in thinking, will, and action with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have upheld and strengthened the overall leadership of the Party over social organizations, and made coordinated efforts to promote Party building and the effective coverage of Party initiatives in social organizations, so that they follow the Party and its guidance and make steady and continuous progress along the development path with Chinese characteristics.

Second, ensuring institutional guarantees. We have worked with relevant departments to increase the implementation of policies with regard to government purchase of services, tax and fee incentives, and human resources to stimulate the internal vitality and driving force of social organizations.

Third, giving full play to the roles of social organizations. We have mobilized industry associations and chambers of commerce to help improve our economic development and modernization. We have encouraged academies and research societies to boost China's scientific and technological innovation, invigorate the country through science and education, and improve workforce development. We have mobilized social service agencies to bolster support to ensure people's basic living needs and provide services. We have also mobilized environmental protection social organizations to help build a beautiful China. We have encouraged charity organizations to vigorously develop philanthropic undertakings on the new journey. Recently, we have organized some national and local social organizations in eastern China to pair up with 160 key counties receiving rural revitalization assistance across the country, which has achieved very good social effects and has been welcomed by all parties. Many journalists present here have covered the relevant news.

Fourth, enforcing rigorous supervision and management. We have enhanced the construction of social organization credit information platforms and continued to improve the transparency and credibility of social organizations. We have faithfully performed various administrative duties such as registration, annual inspection, evaluation, credit management, and law enforcement supervision of social organizations. We have promoted social organizations to consciously improve their internal governance mechanisms and continuously elevate their self-discipline and self-regulation.

Fifth, focusing on creating a favorable environment. We have identified a group of advanced social organizations to serve as models for high-quality development. We coordinate development and security, and take an unequivocal stance to continuously eliminate 'zombie' social organizations. We have taken strong measures to crack down on and rectify various illegal social organizations, thereby purifying the ecological space of social organizations.

The above summarizes the measures we have taken since this year. Thank you.

Red Star News:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed to improve the multi-tiered and categorized social assistance system. I would like to know what new measures the MCA, as an important department responsible for ensuring people's basic living needs, has implemented to strengthen efforts in this regard. Thank you.

Tang Dengjie:

Thank you for your question. I would like to invite Mr. Liu to answer it.

Liu Xitang:

In recent years, the MCA has thoroughly studied and implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping. Following an approach that classifies on the basis of difficulty levels, categorizes assistance content, and enforces dynamic monitoring and early warning systems, the MCA has collaborated closely with relevant departments to enhance the social assistance system, including the subsistence allowance program. Efforts have been directed toward bolstering the dynamic monitoring of low-income populations and providing consistent assistance and support. The ministry has also expedited the establishment of a comprehensive and efficient social assistance system, consisting primarily of subsistence allowances, targeted social assistance, and emergency social relief, and supplemented by public participation. The objective is to achieve all-encompassing, tiered, classified and efficient pattern of assistance, all while advancing high-quality development in this field. There are four main facets:

First, we are enhancing the basic living assistance system, which includes the subsistence allowance program. We have established and reinforced proactive identification mechanism, focusing on identifying and supporting individuals and families who cannot apply for assistance themselves. We have conducted comprehensive assessments of families just outside the margin of eligibility, and we've separately included individuals with severe illnesses or disabilities from these families in the subsistence allowance program. Our objective is to ensure that our social safety net extends assistance and support to all those in need. We have promptly adjusted the assistance standard in line with economic and social development levels. As of the end of June this year, the standard urban and rural subsistence allowances have increased by 4.8% and 8.5%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. From January to June this year, a total of 126.5 billion yuan has been spent nationwide for subsistence allowances, assistance for the severely impoverished persons, and temporary assistance, effectively guaranteeing the basic livelihoods of individuals in need.

Second, we are strengthening the construction of the national dynamic monitoring information platform for low-income populations. We have included recipients of minimum subsistence allowances, individuals from families just outside the margin of eligibility, severely impoverished individuals, individuals from families facing difficulties with essential expenditures, individuals on the verge of poverty who can fall back in again easily, and other individuals identified by local governments as in need within the scope of dynamic monitoring. We have also established a mechanism for sharing information with various departments, such as those responsible for education, healthcare, housing and urban-rural development, and rural revitalization, as well as trade unions and local federations serving people with disabilities. This aims to enhance monitoring and early warning capabilities and provide support for the establishment of a tiered and classified social assistance system.

Third, we are enhancing the comprehensive assistance and support mechanisms. In collaboration with relevant departments, we have conducted in-depth research to further clarify assistance and support policies for families just outside the margin of eligibility for subsistence allowances and families facing difficulties with essential expenditures. Following the principles of tiered targeting, categorized assistance, comprehensive coverage, and efficient coordination, we have enhanced the relevant assistance policies to continuously improve accessibility and coverage. We have implemented temporary assistance in the places where emergencies and difficulties happened, providing increased support to individuals facing temporary hardships. Additionally, we have strengthened the effective connection between the government's assistance and charitable support, guiding and supporting the involvement of public welfare and charitable organizations in social assistance. The MCA has recently issued documents and made relevant arrangements concerning these efforts.

Fourth, we are continuously deepening the reform of the social assistance system. With the goal of achieving common prosperity, we have improved social security directed to poverty elimination and strengthened theoretical research on social assistance policies. We have conducted pilot experiments in areas such as service-oriented social assistance, applications for subsistence allowances based on places of one's habitual residence, coordinated allocation of assistance resources, and enhancing service capabilities. We have promptly summarized and promoted exemplary practices and experiences at the local level. We have also promptly issued policy and institutional measures, continually improving the tiered and classified social assistance system. We aim to ensure that individuals in need have a greater sense of benefit, happiness, and security. Thank you.

Yicai:

The Opinions on Advancing the Construction of a Basic Old-age Service System were officially released in May of this year. What progress has been achieved thus far, and what new measures are planned to be implemented? Thank you.

Tang Dengjie:

Thank you for your questions; these are very good questions. Previously, I introduced China's active efforts to address population aging and provided an overview of both elderly care programs and elderly care services. The basic old-age service system aims to provide all elderly people with inclusive, general and guaranteed old-age services. Mr. Yu Jianliang will elaborate on the specific situation.

Yu Jianliang:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress urged to "ensure that basic elderly care is accessible to the entire elderly population." In May of this year, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council released the Opinions on Advancing the Construction of a Basic Old-age Service System. Also, they released the list of national basic elderly care services. This marked a fresh step in China's efforts to comprehensively develop its basic old-age service system. Since the beginning of this year, the MCA has mainly focused on the following aspects and made new progress.

First, we encouraged local authorities to expedite the development of basic old-age service systems. With an emphasis on issuing implementation plans and lists of local basic elderly care services, we guided local governments to accelerate their efforts in designing their basic old-age service systems. At present, most provinces have released their implementation plans, while the remaining provinces are in the process of finalizing their plans. Some localities have also continually made breakthroughs and innovations by tailoring the content and standards of basic elderly care services in accordance with local conditions.

Second, we have been consistently enhancing the capacity of basic elderly care services. In collaboration with the National Development and Reform Commission, we launched projects to proactively address population aging in 2023, and arranged investments from the central budget to support the development of elderly care service facilities. We have also partnered with the Ministry of Finance to improve at-home and community-based elderly care services, which includes providing home-based care facilities and door-to-door services for qualified individuals facing special difficulties and incapacitated seniors. Additionally, in coordination with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, we have been promoting the simultaneous construction of elderly care service facilities in newly built residential areas and optimizing the layout of such facilities in communities.

Third, we have ensured the implementation of projects related to basic elderly care services. We have urged local governments to make renovation of home environment to make life easier for the elderly facing special difficulties. We have also improved welfare and subsidy policies for the elderly and implemented programs such as advanced-age allowances and old-age service allowances. We have guided local governments to accelerate the implementation of visit and care services, actively delivering services to seniors' homes to identify and preemptively address risks associated with at-home elderly care.

Next, the MCA will continue to strengthen the implementation of the abovementioned Opinions. First, we will urge and guide local governments that have not yet issued provincial-level implementation plans to introduce these plans before the end of this year. Second, we will strive to carry out the projects listed in the national basic elderly care services program, ensuring that the care and support from the CPC Central Committee reach the elderly as swiftly as possible. Third, we will continuously improve the basic old-age services supply, guarantee, supervision, and dynamic adjustment mechanism, while promoting the unified collection, mutual recognition, and open sharing of information related to both eligible recipients of basic old-age services and service guarantee, with the goal of ensuring that all elderly people can more effectively access basic old-age services.

Thank you! 

Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress underscores the importance of safeguarding women's and children's legitimate rights and interests. Could you please provide information on the measures the MCA has implemented to ensure children's welfare and the accomplishments achieved in this regard? Thank you.

Zhan Chengfu:

General Secretary Xi Jinping is deeply committed to the welfare of children. He has issued multiple important instructions, emphasizing the need to support and assist children from disadvantaged families, especially orphans and those with disabilities, ensuring every child enjoys a joyful and fulfilling childhood. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress explicitly states the vital task of "protecting the legitimate rights and interests of women and minors." Civil affairs departments at all levels have diligently studied and implemented the directives of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the major decisions and arrangements from the 20th CPC National Congress. Adhering to the principle of prioritizing children's interests and based on their administrative responsibilities, we've taken a series of effective measures to protect the rights and interests of children in various challenging circumstances, achieving significant results. These achievements are evident in the following four areas.

First, we continuously elevate their standard of living support. The basic living support standards for orphans and de facto orphans have been consistently improved. We have included groups like orphans and uncared-for children within the scope of our support, integrating them into the linkage mechanism of social assistance and protection standards tied to price increases. This ensures these children have sufficient food and clothing, lead content lives, and fully exhibits the strengths of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Second, we have enhanced medical rehabilitation services. Through the lottery public welfare fund, we organized and launched the Tomorrow Plan for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Orphans. We successfully carried out numerous surgical treatments and rehabilitation services, alleviating the medical conditions of these children and significantly aiding their healthy development.

Third, we have strengthened educational support. We implemented a program to support school education for orphans through the lottery public welfare fund, providing scholarships to orphans who have been admitted to junior colleges and higher education institutions, ensuring that they can pursue their studies and attend school with peace of mind.

Fourth, we are advancing the optimization and transformation of child welfare institutions. In collaboration with the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform, the National Development and Reform Commission, and other departments, we jointly advocate for optimizing and enhancing quality and innovative transformation of child welfare institutions. By holistically addressing children's upbringing, education, medical care, rehabilitation and psychological health, we are setting improved conditions for their development.

Next, building upon our existing achievements, we will focus on the following three areas of work.

First, we will place greater emphasis on precise protection. Guided by the aim of safeguarding the basic rights and interests of children in difficult situations, such as orphans and de facto orphans, we will target our efforts and implement precision-guided policies. We will coordinate solutions to address both group needs and individual requirements, continually enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security for children in various challenging situations.

Second, we will place a heightened emphasis on holistic development. While ensuring their basic livelihoods, our focus will extend to the mental and emotional well-being, personal growth, and talent actualization of children facing adverse conditions. We will refine and bolster measures tied to education, psychological well-being, self-confidence, and self-improvement, aiming to promote these children's comprehensive development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and work-related aspects.

Third, we must accord heightened emphasis to professional services. We will organize and carry out quality improvement initiatives for child welfare institutions, centering on precise management and meticulous services. This involves refining care services, enhancing specialized rehabilitation capabilities, optimizing special education services, and delivering expert social work services to better guarantee children's healthy and secure development within these institutions.

Here, I also wish to call upon the media representatives in attendance to leverage your expansive reach and call upon kind-hearted volunteers to visit children's welfare institutions to see and understand their situations. Everyone is welcome to become a volunteer for the cause of children's welfare and help these children thrive. Thank you.

Sansha Satellite TV:

Place names are fundamental public information in society. Last year, the State Council introduced a revised rule on the management of place names. May I ask what actions the MCA has taken to implement this rule? And what are the next steps or measures planned? Thank you.

Tang Dengjie:

Thank you for your questions and concern about our civil affairs work. I'd like to invite Mr. Li Baojun to answer your queries.

Li Baojun:

Let me outline the implementation of the Rule on the Management of Place Names. Initially issued by the State Council in 1986, significant changes have occurred in the scope, objectives, tasks, methods, and environment of place name management in the past 30 years. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to place name management. The State Council revised the Rule, which came into effect on May 1 of last year. Following the promulgation of the Rule, the MCA has steadily advanced implementation work, striving to enhance scientific and standardized management of place names under the rule of law. We have primarily focused on three aspects:

First, we've enhanced the place name management systems and mechanisms. We've introduced and published the Measures for the Administration of Place Name Filing and Announcement (Trial) and actively promoted the formulation and revision of regulations, national standards and industry standards related to place names, including the Implementation Measures for the Rule on Place Name Management. We've also improved a system featuring unified supervision and management, and assignment of responsibility to different levels and categories, enabling relevant departments and local authorities to perform their respective duties.

The second aspect is the ongoing improvement of place name management services. We've exercised strict control over the naming and renaming of places, improved naming guidelines, standardized work procedures, encouraged the development of place name plans, implemented the filing and announcement system, and established a unified national platform for filing and announcing. We've advanced the standardization of place names, regularized non-standard place names, and standardized the spelling and translation of place names. Continuous updates and enhancements have been made to the China National Geographical Names Information Database. We've launched a special action in rural areas, taking the opportunity to collect place names and add them to the map, driving projects related to the naming and standardizing of rural place names, cultural promotion and preservation, and place name information services in order to support the development of beautiful, livable, and business-friendly rural areas. We've actively participated in the session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, raising awareness of our geographical names work and promoting international exchanges and cooperation in geographical name management.

The third aspect is our commitment to preserving and protecting place name culture. With a clear value orientation and a reflection of the spirit of the times, we advocate the incorporation of core socialist values, outstanding Chinese traditional culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture into place naming, effectively enhancing the cultural significance of newly designated place names. We've implemented relevant provisions on the cultural protection of place names in the revised Rule, intensifying research on the cultural protection system of place names, fostering a place name protection list, and safeguarding old place names with historical and cultural significance. In collaboration with China Media Group, we produced and broadcasted the TV show China Place Names Conference, organized various place name cultural promotion activities, and actively promoted place name culture.

In the next phase, we'll continue to rigorously implement the Rule on the Management of Place Names. We aim to further enhance place name management services, deepen our efforts in place name culture preservation and promotion, contribute to rural revitalization, support economic and social development, and continue the legacy of China's outstanding traditional culture.

Thank you!

Chen Wenjun:

The last question, please.

CCTV:

In recent years, there has been an increasing level of attention to charitable activities in society. Could you please share the next steps the MCA will take to promote the high-quality development of charity in China? Thank you.

Thank you for your question. Public welfare and charity undertakings are moral practices with wide public participation. It is a crucial mark for social civility and progress. Just as you mentioned, society has been paying more attention to and increasing participation in charitable and public-interest initiatives. According to the statistics, there are now over 13,000 charity organizations registered in China. Charitable donations have been steadily on the rise. Charity systems have been continuously improved. The culture of public welfare and charity has taken deeper roots in the hearts of the people. The force of public welfare and charity has played an active role in many areas, such as poverty alleviation, epidemic prevention and control, rural revitalization, education, science, culture, health, ecological conservation, and emergency response and rescue. This Sept. 5 marked China's 8th Charity Day. We held the 12th gathering for the China Charity Awards at the Great Hall of the People, praising a group of charity programs, models, enterprises, individuals, and teams. Many media friends present here covered the gathering, receiving a positive response from the general public. Here, I would like to express thanks to you all.

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress has put forward that China will build an institutional framework under which primary, secondary, and tertiary distributions are well coordinated and mutually complementary, and emphasized that China will provide guidance and support for enterprises, social organizations, and individuals who have the desire and ability to actively participate in charitable and public-interest initiatives, pointing the direction for the development of public welfare and charity undertakings. Next, we will continue to earnestly study and put into practice the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and advance the high-quality development of charity with Chinese characteristics. We will prioritize the work in the following three aspects:

Firstly, we will continue to ensure a right direction for charity development. We will uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the Party, follow a people-centered approach, and guide public welfare and charity forces to answer the call of the Party and play an active role, and ensure it continues in the right direction. We will keep focusing on those who run into special difficulties and are most in need of help and promote public welfare and charity resources to benefit all sorts of people in difficulty in a timely and accurate manner and contribute to achieving common prosperity. We will step up institution building, prioritize revising the Charity Law and improving supporting policies, and advance the coordination and mutual complementarity of tertiary distribution institutions with the primary and secondary distribution institutions.

Secondly, we will provide guidance and support for enterprises, social organizations, and individuals who have the desire and ability to actively participate in charitable and public-interest initiatives. We will advocate for the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, including mutual assistance in times of adversity and helping the needy. We will make good use of important festivals and charity awards to give play to the exemplary role of role models so as to further inspire the passion of the whole of society to support and engage in charitable and public-interest initiatives. We will encourage all localities to diversify and broaden their ways and channels of participation, facilitate the application of digital technology in charity, and move faster to develop an environment in which everyone can engage in charity at any time.

Thirdly, we will strengthen the regulation of charity and work to improve its transparency. We will strengthen Party leadership and Party building within charity organizations. We will standardize internal governance and industry self-discipline of charity organizations and establish and improve a modern system for charity organizations. We will launch the Sunshine Charity project and encourage the general public and media to supervise charity. We will facilitate all kinds of charity organizations to disclose true information in a comprehensive and accurate way. We will strengthen the whole-process regulation of charity activities to improve the transparency and credibility of charitable and public-interest initiatives.

That's all for my answer to the question briefly. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to our friends from the media for your long-term attention and support for civil affairs work, especially the development of civil affairs undertakings.

Chen Wenjun:

Thanks to Mr. Tang and all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is hereby concluded. 

Translated and edited by Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Wei, Li Xiao, Zhang Junmian, Lin Liyao, Wang Ziteng, Li Huiru, Qin Qi, Yuan Fang, Yan Bin, Liu Caiyi, Wang Yanfang, Zhang Tingting, Huang Shan, Zhang Rui, Zhou Jing, Wang Yiming, Xu Kailin, David Ball, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.