Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Coping with the Global Financial Crisis and Maintaining Steady and Properly Rapid Economic Development in the Western Area of China

The basic medical care services shall be improved. We shall proactively promote the reform of health system, improve regional health plans, enhance efforts on establishment of the pubic health service system and give more supports to the western area in respect of special health funds for improving facilities of hospitals at county level. More efforts shall be made to develop traditional Chinese medical science, Chinese traditional medicine and medical sciences of minorities. We shall consolidate and develop the new rural cooperative medical service system, expand its coverage and give more benefits to participating farmers. More efforts shall be made on prevention and control of serious diseases and endemic diseases and on handling of emergent pubic health events. The establishment of the service systems for healthcare of women and children and family planning program shall be quickened, the low fertility rate shall be kept and the coverage of the "Fewer Children and Faster Prosperity Program" shall be expanded.

The public cultural service system shall be improved. Projects and programs including broadcasting and television service reaching every village, integrated cultural stations in counties and towns, "Tibet-Xinjiang program" Stage IV, national cultural information sharing, mobile stage vehicles, film projection in rural areas shall be promoted, and the construction grade for cultural centers and libraries at county level shall be raised. We shall well protect natural heritages, intangible cultural heritages and large relics in the western area. More efforts shall be made to construction of major cultural relic protection projects and to protection of savable cultural relics and famous cities and counties with long history and cultural significance. The program of physical fitness of farmers shall continue to be executed.

The employment rate shall be increased and social security level shall be improved. Efforts shall be made to execute policies for promoting employment of college graduates, immigrant workers from rural areas and people in difficulties of employment, and increase employment rate. We shall expand the coverage of social security, improve the basic aged care service system, launch the new rural endowment insurance pilots program, and establish the social security system for farmers whose farmlands have been expropriated, whereby insurance may be handled before expropriation of land. The standards of subsidies for people subject to special care and of urban minimum subsistence allowances and subsidies shall be improved.

More efforts shall be made on human resource issues. The policies and measures regarding human resources in the western area shall be improved and the system of attracting, retaining and using human resources shall be set up. We shall take varies means to cultivate practical persons for rural area, as well as professionals and talents with better education in urgent need for western development, encourage and support raising funds for human resources in the western area through different channels and at different levels, and introduce talents from other areas of China and other countries to the western area. We shall increase the appropriation of the Central Government to reward teachers and medical staff who work at the community level for a long time and give subsidies to teachers and medical staff who work in remote poverty-stricken areas according to national policies. We will improve the official exchange system, guide human resources to flow to the western area and encourage volunteers to make services at the community or village level.

6. Make uniform planning on regional development and take initiatives to cultivate new economic growth poles

Major economic zones shall be given the priority to development. We shall energetically promote major economic zones such as Chengdu-Chongqing, Guanzhong-Tianshui and Beibu Gulf of Guangxi to become strategic sites to lead and drive the western development. Efforts shall be made to speed up the comprehensive urban-rural support reform in Chongqing and Chengdu, promote Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone to firstly set up innovation areas, and support Xi’an to establish scientific and technological resources comprehensive reform demonstration bases. We shall promote the development and opening up of Beibu Gulf of Guangxi and accelerate establishment of national hi-tech industrial belt. The construction of bonded ports in Qinzhou of Guangxi and in Lianglu and Cuntan of Chongqing shall be promoted. We shall study the feasibility of establishment of Xi’an dry port comprehensive bonded area. The formulation of development plans for major areas including Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone, Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia old revolutionary area, Huhehaote-Baotou-Erdos economic zone in Inner Mongolia and North Side of Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang shall be made. We shall energetically promote cross-regional integrated city construction, speed up urban-rural integration of Chengdu and Chongqing and city integration of Xi’an and Xianyang and Urumqi and Changji, and guide reasonable cross-regional flow of factors of all kinds.