Sharing the Cost of Reproductive Education, National Development and Reform Commission: Further Research on Substantive Support Measures | Public Services | Substantive

The first meeting of the 20th Central Financial and Economic Commission recently stressed that Chinese path to modernization should be supported by high-quality population development. How to view the new situation of population development in China correctly? How to promote high-quality population development? Xinhua News Agency interviewed Liu Ming, Director of the Social Development Department of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Population factors can provide lasting impetus for Chinese path to modernization

Q: How to comprehensively understand and correctly view the new situation and new normal of population development in China?

Answer: The population issue has always been a global, long-term, and strategic issue facing our country. Understanding, adapting to, and leading the new normal of population development in our country is the big logic for promoting high-quality population development in the current and future periods.

While maintaining a relatively large population size, China has steadily improved its overall population quality. The average length of education for the labor force in our country has reached 11 years, and the newly added labor force has reached 14 years. In addition, with the improvement of health, labor productivity and the growth of middle-income groups, population factors can provide a solid foundation and lasting impetus for Chinese path to modernization.

Against the backdrop of aging becoming a fundamental national condition, China will actively respond to the rise of population aging as a national strategy. With the continuous improvement of health conditions, the average life expectancy in China continues to extend. In 2022, the number of elderly people aged 60 and above in China will reach 280 million. But with a solid material foundation, sufficient human capital, and a profound culture of filial piety, we are fully equipped, capable, and confident to effectively respond. The aging population also contains development opportunities, such as the enormous potential of the silver haired economy.

On the whole, China's "demographic dividend" has not disappeared, "talent dividend" is taking shape, and the number and quality of population can fully support Chinese path to modernization.

Promote the achievement of moderate fertility levels and ensure long-term sustainable development of the population

Q: How to grasp the requirements of high-quality population development in the new era?

Answer: High quality population development should fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development concept, and creatively answer the questions of the era of population development.

One is to adhere to innovative development and solve the problem of driving population development. Integrating education, technology, and talent, comprehensively improving the education level, health level, and cultural literacy of the population, and promoting high-quality and full employment. Promote the achievement of a moderate fertility level, ensure long-term sustainable development of the population, and stabilize the supply of high-quality labor force for new growth.

The second is to adhere to coordinated development and solve the problem of imbalanced population development. Promote industries to follow functions, populations to follow industries, and public services to follow people, promote balanced population distribution, rational agglomeration, and orderly flow between urban and rural areas, and support the implementation of major national regional strategies.

The third is to adhere to green development and solve the problem of harmony between good people and nature. Targeted population policies should be improved to promote the adaptation of population size and distribution to local resource and environmental carrying capacity, as well as the suitability of national spatial development, and to accelerate the formation of green production and lifestyle.

The fourth is to adhere to open development and solve the problem of internal and external linkage in population development. Adhere to the combination of "bringing in" and "going out", establish a global perspective on human resource development and utilization, and gather talents from all over the world for use; Strengthen international exchange of talents and contribute Chinese talents to global governance.

The fifth is to adhere to shared development and solve the issue of fairness and justice in population development. Adhere to doing our best and within our capabilities, improve the basic public service system, improve the level of public services, enhance inclusiveness, balance, and accessibility, and continuously enhance people's well-being.

Improving population quality in all aspects

Q: How to improve the overall quality of the population and shape modern human resources in the face of the new situation and new normal?

Answer: Adhere to a problem oriented approach, plan relevant supporting policies with a systemic perspective, and focus on the following three aspects:

Comprehensively improving population quality and cultivating comprehensive competitiveness of the population. We will prioritize the development of education and accelerate the construction of a high-quality education system. Vigorously developing advanced socialist culture and improving the ideological and moral qualities of the population.

Establish an active support policy system for childbirth and focus on building a fertility friendly society. Expand the effective supply of inclusive childcare and preschool education, significantly reducing the burden of family childbirth, nurturing, and education.

Stimulate the vitality of all age groups and actively cultivate human resources. Effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers and eliminate gender discrimination. Create a good social atmosphere and safeguard the rights and interests of the elderly to participate in civilized practices, public welfare and charity, volunteer services, science, education, culture and health, and other undertakings. Eliminate the institutional and institutional drawbacks that hinder labor mobility.

Q: What are the key considerations and arrangements of the National Development and Reform Commission for promoting high-quality population development through reform and innovation in the next step?

Answer: The National Development and Reform Commission will thoroughly implement the spirit of the important speech of General Secretary Jin Ping at the first meeting of the 20th Central Finance and Economics Committee, correctly handle the relationship between current and long-term, total volume and structure, population and resources and environment, and accelerate the shaping Modern human resources with good quality, abundant total volume, optimized structure, and reasonable distribution support Chinese-style modernization with high-quality population development.

One is to focus on high-quality population development and strive to improve relevant economic policies and supporting measures. Promote the positive interaction between population and economy, and provide talent support for the transformation of economic development mode, upgrading of industrial structure, and improvement of total factor productivity. Promote comprehensive decision-making on population and development, improve the population statistics monitoring system, improve the linkage mechanism between public resources and population, promote effective integration of population distribution and productivity layout, public service allocation, and resource and environmental carrying capacity.

The second is to focus on the objective needs of population development, enhance public service capabilities, and strengthen people's livelihood security. Further improve the public service system and enhance the level of livelihood security in the fields of education, healthcare, and social services. Deeply promote the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education and urban-rural integration, implement the action of empowering vocational education industry education integration, and accelerate the layout of a new batch of national industry education integration innovation platforms. Promote the expansion and sinking of high-quality medical resources, accelerate the construction and layout of comprehensive, specialized, and traditional Chinese medicine national medical centers, as well as national and provincial regional medical centers, and promote the expansion of high-quality medical resources and regional balanced layout. Establish a hierarchical and classified social assistance system that is in line with China's population development situation and has a comparable level of security.

The third is to focus on the shortcomings of population service capabilities and improve the "one elderly and one small" service system. Accelerate the construction of the basic elderly care service system, promote the concentration of elderly care resources to communities and the public, incorporate the construction of elderly care facilities into policy documents such as planning, land use, and housing, and promote family harmony and social integration through nearby and convenient services. Accelerate the cultivation of a silver haired economy, achieve multiple benefits in enhancing the well-being of the elderly, expanding domestic consumption, and exploring new economic drivers. Carry out a special action on inclusive childcare services, develop community childcare service facilities and comprehensive childcare service institutions, and increase the supply of inclusive childcare services. Further research substantive and systematic support measures to share the costs of childbirth, nurturing, and education, and help people of childbearing age better balance work and life.