January 5
The 7th National Civil Trial Work Conference was held in Jinan. The conference aimed to make a comprehensive sum-up of achievements and experiences since the 2000 National Civil Trial Work Conference, to analyze current situation and tasks confronting civil trial work, and to make clear basic requirements and comprehensive deployment for current and future civil trial work.
Addressing the conference, Xiao Yang, chief justice of the Supreme People's Court, raised the concept of "Judicial harmony" for the first time. He required the people's courts at all levels to create a harmonious litigation order and to focus on maintaining harmonious judicial environment. Representatives from Shandong, Beijing, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hunan, Guangdong and Chongqing spoke at the meeting, exchanging their experiences in civil trial work.
January 10
Highly appraising China's government's efforts in rescuing the 5 Chinese workers kidnapped in the Nigerian state of Rivers, a commentator's article entitled "Ultimate Care for Life and Human-Oriented Ruling" was published on the French journal European Times.
January 10
Wang Yongping, spokesman of China's Ministry of Railways announced that from this year onwards, ticket price of all passenger trains will no longer be increased in the period of the Spring Festival travel season, putting an end to a 6 year conventional practice.
January 17
A draft regulation on the release of government information has been approved in principle by the State Council, China's cabinet, to promote government transparency. The regulation has prescriptions on the range of government information, release methods and procedure, and supervision. The release of government information will focus on issues of utmost importance to the public to safeguard the public's right to know. The regulation is viewed as a move by the government to improve efficiency and prevent abuses of power.
January 20
A reporting regulation of important cases concerning social insurance funds was formulated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, which required the report of preliminary situation be submitted to provincial social insurance funds supervisory organs within 5 working days after the important case was discovered.
January 22
Decision by the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council on Comprehensively Strengthening the Work on Population and Family Planning and Solving Population Problemwas released. The Decision indicated that at present, China has entered an aging society. The aging problem should be actively handled. Strategic plan and policy for the cause of the aged should be formulated and implemented. Gradual establishment of old-age security system covering urban and rural residents should be emphasized in the building of social security system. An old-age service system based on home support, relied on community service and supplemented by institutional care should be established.
January 25
According to the Ministry of Commerce, China has made a series of new progress on intellectual property rights protection in 2006. Until the end of November 2006, China had established comprehensive intellectual property rights informant and complaint service center in 50 cities, which received 1014 informant and complaints and explained 24,221 consultations from the public and enterprises. At present, bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation on intellectual property rights between China and other countries are omni-dimensional, wide-range and multi-tiered, covering many fields like trademarks, patents, copyrights, geographical symbols and commercial secrets, including many links such as legislation, administrative execution of laws, and civil and criminal justice.
January 25
China's State Council held a teleconference on clean-up of payment arrears in construction section. Zeng Peiyan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council attended and addressed the conference. He indicated that governments at all levels must lay stress on the work of ensuring migrant workers get their full wages on time with the approaching of the Spring Festival. According to statistics from the Ministry of Construction, before the end of 2003, the construction section totally defaulted 186 billion Yuan in project payment, involving 130,000 projects and over 13 thousand enterprises. Till January 19 this year, 183.4 billion Yuan had been paid off, including 33 billion Yuan for migrant workers' wages.
February 1
Jiang Yu, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that China has been continuously acting in the constitutional spirit of “the state respects and safeguards human rights”, strictly controlling death penalty and safeguarding lawful human rights via judicial procedure.
February 6
Since the launching of the warmth sending activity in the festival season of 2007 New Year's Day and Spring Festival on December 25, 2006, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has paid visits to the enterprises and employees with difficulties in 22 provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities. Trade unions at all levels have raised funds of 1.989 billion , and visited 4.2687 million employees and 75,000 enterprises with difficulties.
February 8
The news conference on the functioning of national economy of Tibet Autonomous Region was held in Lhasa. The 2006 Gross Regional Product of the region reached 29.005 billion RMB yuan, an increase of 13.4% to the year before, and the fastest since 1996.
February 10
The specialized campaign of "solicitude showing" to floating population across the nation concerning family planning was launched in Shanghai. Zhang Weiqing, the Minister of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, claimed that to promote social harmony, various forms of activities would be carried out in the hometowns and current residential places of the floating population, providing them with services and assistance, sparkpluging solicitude-showing of the whole society to the floating population.
February 12
Mao Qun'an, the spokesman of the Ministry of Public Health, stated at a press briefing that by the end of November, 2006 there had been 528 cities that developed community health services, accounted for 81% of the overall cities in China.
February 12
A fund was formally initiated specially for skill training of farmers and cultivating ushers of getting wealthy in the countryside. It was the fist welfare fund project used specially for farmer training in China. The fund was established by China Peace and Friendship Development Foundation and donated by friendly organizations and companies at home and abroad that are enthusiastic in the development of China's countryside. The Beida Jade Bird Group donated 200,000 RMB yuan to be the start-up funds.
February 14
According to Ministry of Construction, by the end of 2006, there had been 512 cities applied the low-cost housing system among the overall 657 cities in China.
February 16
On the 29th of the twelfth month by lunar calendar, premier Wen Jiabao visited Fushun in Liaoning Province to inspect the situation of the reconstruction of the shanty sections in the city.
February 25
A national network project of lawyers--promotion of lawyers' in-depth participation in legal aid to farmer workers--would be officially launched after the 2007 Spring Festival. The aim of the project is to offer free legal aid to farmer workers.
February 27
Wang Xuming, the press spokesman of the Ministry of Education, announced that in the year of 2006, China had achieved remarkable results in implementing the compulsory education security mechanism in the countryside of the western region. From 2007, the tuition and miscellaneous fees of rural students during the compulsory education phase would be fully waived in the middle and eastern regions. This policy would bring benefit to some 150 million rural students.
February 28
The Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate jointly promulgated a Judicial interpretation to further clarify the legal provisions suitable to criminal cases harmful to mine production safety, requiring criminal activities harmful to mine production safety be punished according to laws, mine safe production orders be standardized, mine production safety be guaranteed, and security of life and property of the masses be protected.
March 5
Presided by Wu Bangguo, the administrative and executive chairman of the Congress Presidium, the fifth session of the Tenth National People's Congress opened today. On behalf of the State Council, Wen Jiabao presented the Report of the Work of the Government. He state that the major goal of economic and social development in this year is: to increase GDP by 8% basing on structure optimization, efficiency improvement, cost reduction and environment protection. According to the counting of the journalists, in the Report, central financial input relating to people's livelihood reached 477.8 bil. yuan.
March 6
Wang Zhibao, member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that China's current population of absolute poverty, whose annual per capita income is less than 683 RMB yuan, has decreased to 21.48 mil., with a reduction of 2.17 mil. last year. Meanwhile, the population of low-income, whose annual per capita income is less than 958 RMB yuan, has decreased to 35.5 mil., with a reduction of 5.17 mil..
March 8
The Information Office of State Council issued the Human Rights Record of the US in 2006 in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006 issued by the US State Department. This is the eighth consecutive year that the Information Office of the State Council has issued human rights record of the United States to answer the U.S. State Department annual report.
March 12
According to Mao Qun'an, spokesman of the Ministry of Public Health, by the end of 2006, there had been 1451 counties that developed pilot projects of new rural cooperative medical system, accounting for 50.7 percent of the total number of counties across China.
March 16
The fifth session of the Tenth National People's Congress closed in Beijing. The Draft Property Law of the PRC was approved with an overwhelming voting result.
March 26
The "Health Express for Mothers--Hand in Hand Safety Protection Project" was activated in Beijing. 40 expresses would go to Xinjiang, Chongqing, Hebei and Guangdong to provide the mass of women with health concept, health knowledge and health services.
March 27
Yuan Yanpeng, the vice minister of the Ministry of Labour of Social Security, revealed that China's supervisory system of labour guarantee had covered over 27 million employing units and more than 300 million labourers. Last year, labour supervision and law enforcement had made relevant employing units sign retroactive labour contracts with 12.434 million labourers, and reissue 5.75 billion yuan as payment to labourers.
March 27-28
The sixth working conference for letters and calls was held in Beijing. Wen Jiabao, the Premier of State Council, said that the work of handling letters and calls was a crucial link in all tasks of the Party and the government. He said that on behalf of the Party and the government, organs for letters and calls do mass work directly, relieve worries and troubles for the mass, eliminate contradictions for the society, and promote harmonious development of the society.
March 29
The General Affair Office of State Council issued the "11th Five-Year Plan for Causes of Ethnic Minorities". The guiding ideology and overall goals of developing ethnic minorities' causes were established, and 11 major tasks and 11 key projects were raised in the Plan.
April 1
"The Means for Paying Litigation Expenses" was implemented. It clarified how the payment is exempted, reduced or postponed. Therefore, much more people can afford their litigation fees.
April 3
Gao Qiang, minister of the Ministry of Public Health, revealed that from June 2005, when the project of "Assisting Rural Hygiene with 10 Thousand Physicians" was initiated, till now, there had been 10 thousand medical personnel from 518 hospitals in cities in mid-west China went to 592 county hospitals and 1300 grass roots hospitals, giving treatment to nearly two million patients.
April 5
Criminal judicial protection of intellectual property rights in China was further strengthened after judicial interpretation of the handling of penal cases of intellectual property rights violations was promulgated jointly by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate for the second time. The previous one happened in Dec. 2004, which had already significantly reduced the "threshold" of criminal punishment of intellectual property rights violation.
April 10
The Austrian National Council Member Gabriel Hainis Hosek stated that China is very straightforward to its Human Rights issues. Upon invitation of China Society for Human Rights Studies, the Austrian Human Rights Delegation, led by Hosek, visited China from 2nd to 10th of April. The delegation paid visits to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Information Office of State Council, Three Gorges Project Construction Committee Office of the State Council, and the All-China Women's Federation. The Deligation also visited some urban and rural communities in Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an and had face-to-face conversations with the residents.
April 12
In 2006, the annual financial income of China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation reached 240 million yuan, 31.7% more than the year before. The Foundation has put 170 million yuan worth of fund and supply in six kinds of poverty alleviation projects covering 235 counties and 423 colleges, benefiting 533,600 people, 8.2% more than the year before.
April 17
Zhang Xiaojian, Minister of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, stated in the National Working Conference for Comprehensive Management of Social Order that the amount of urban new jobs in 2006 exceeded 10 million for the first time. Departments of Labour and Social Security will further enlarge the employment channels to promote stability and harmony of social situation.
April 19
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the year-on-year growth of China's economy in the first quarter of 2007 was 11.1%. Since 2003, China's economy has maintained a double-digit growth. From the year 2003 to 2006, the economic growth rates are 10.0%、10.1%、10.4%、10.7%, respectively.
April 22
April 22 of this year was the 38th "World Earth Day". China's theme of the "World Earth Day" this year was "treat the earth kindly starting from resource saving".
April 27
During the National Seminar on Gender Statistics held in Nanchang, Jiangxin Province, Dr.Bernard Conquelin, resident representative of the United Nations Population Fund in China, affirmed China's endeavor on gender equality in the past 15 years. He believed that the Chinese government had attached great importance to gender statistics in recent years, which was very favorable to analyzing China's social status.
April 28
A special fund for providing assistance to the elderly in difficulties was officially initiated in the Great Hall of the People. This fund would assist the government to provide basic living needs for the elderly whose lives could not be guaranteed.
Apr. 30--May 1
During May Day, Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, visited Cadres and people of all ethnics in Henan Province. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, he expressed festival greetings to workers, peasants, intellectuals and the working masses on all fronts.
May 1
Wen Jiabao, the Premier of China, went to the industrial estate and oil field of Caofeidian in Hebei Province and spent the May Day together with the workers on the posts, and expressed festival greetings to them.
May 2
The "Green Paper on Rural Economy", issued recently by Rural Development Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, indicates that in 2006, China's per capita net income of farmers reached 3,587 Yuan, which was an 332 Yuan increase comparing to the previous year. There was a nominal growth of 10.2 percent, and a actual increase of 7.4 percent by deducting price factors.
May 5
A concerned person-in-charge in All China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU) indicated on the World Production Safety and Health day that there are annually over 2 million workers on average in China who accept the popularization education of labor safety and health.
May 7
According to Huang Qingyi, Vice Director of National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW), during the recent years, the member units of NWCCW have adopted various effective methods to solve the significant problems of Children and Women development. Women's employment and re-employment work was further strengthened.
May 8
Jiang Yu, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, replied to reporters' questions on the 2007 annual report published by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. He expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to its distorting and attacking of China's religious and ethnic policy.
May 9
The "China Human Rights Yearbook 2000-2005", compiled by China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), was published by the Solidarity Press. It was the continuation of CSHRS’s first yearbook which was published in 2000. And it was the cyclopedia about China's human rights development. Cai Wu, the Director of the State Council Information Office, prefaced for the book.
May 10
The Third National Council of China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) held its first session in Beijing. Luo Haocai, the Vice-chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was elected the new president of CSHRS.
May 10
China's first professional religious bookstore -- Beijing Zhongwen Bookstore opened in Beijing.
May 12
The Seventh Games of the Disabled of the PRC started in Kunming, Yunnan Province.
May 13
Reporters learned from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission that, at present, China has more than 100 schools to recruit about 20,000 minority students annually for preparatory classes and minority classes. Preparatory classes are also set up in ethnic academies affiliated to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.
May 15
All-China Federation of Trade Unions issued "2006 Blue Book on safeguarding of rights and interests of workers by Chinese trade unions".
May 16
State Council held a national meeting on subsidizing students with family economic difficulties. The work of establishing and improving the policy system of subsidizing students with family economic difficulties was fully deployed. State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the meeting and gave a speech.
May 21
The Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, associated with Publicity Department of CCCPC, Office for Comprehensive Improvement, and Office for Spiritual Civilization, initiated the campaign of minor protection.
May 22
The People's Bank of China promulgated the information that, until the end of this March, there had been 24 provinces (cities) launched the loan business to aid students from their sources, and 13 of them have introduced management methods for this kind of loan business.
May 23
Ministry of Civil Affairs published that by the end of 2006, there had been 4.626 million people enjoyed national compensation and subsidy, 23,000 more than the previous year, an increase of 0.5%.
May 27
National Youth Employment and Business-initiating Training Service Center, initiated and sponsored by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, co-hosted by Beijing City College and Beijing Association of Private Education, was established in Beijing.
May 29
The Training Class of Human Rights Knowledge for Cadres from CCCPC and State Organs, sponsored by the State Council Information Office, hosted by the Information Office of Jiangxi Province, started in the International Academic Exchange Center of Nanchang University.
June 2
The Ministry of Civil Affairs urged local civil affairs departments at all levels to carry out the requirement of General Office of the State Council strictly to ensure a steady supply of pork and other subsidiary foodstuff, keep an orderly market, and maintain the living of urban poor families with the Minimum Living Guarantee Allowance.
June 4
China’s National Program Dealing with Climate Changes was issued officially in Beijing. It formulated policies and measures to address climate changes for the period up to 2010. This was the first policy paper of China to address climate changes, and also the first national program of developing countries.
June 4
Plan Guideline of Educational Development in the 11th Five-year Plan (5YP) was released officially today in the press conference of the Ministry of Education, which said : “China’s educational undertakings will develop continuously and the educational system will be further improved in the 11th Five-year Plan.”
June 5
Mr. Wen Jiabao， member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC and Premier of the State Council, inspected the earthquake-stricken Pu’er City in Yunnan Province and expressed concern for the quake-hit residents on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.
June 6
To prevent the high meal fee of students caused by price rising of food materials like pork and eggs, Shanghai Commission of Education urged universities in Shanghai to pay the subsidy of subsidiary foodstuff for students on time and in full and make allowances to the refectories of universities.
June 7
According to Statistical Communique of the 2006 National Development of Educational Undertakings, national educational undertakings had made new progresses, scales of education at all levels and enrollment opportunities had increased continuously, deployment of educational resources had come to a higher level, and development of non-compulsory non-governmental education had been especially fast.
June 7
"The Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Church in China :A Lamp to My Feet , Light to My Path" was held in Cologne, Germany. It exhibited the Bible history in China, especially the publishing and circulation of Bible after Chinese reforms and opening, as well as the Bible ministry of minorities and church lives.
June 9
Tibet Original Ecology Folk Culture and Arts Exhibition was held in Dzonggyab Lukhang Park. A gathering of original ecology folk culutre in such a large scale is the first in Tibet.
June 11
The project of establishing Minnan Cultural Ecology Protrction Trial Area, the main ancestral home of compatriots from Taiwan and the cradle and reserve of Minnan culture and the first national cultural ecology protection area, is formally approved. The area will include Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Xiamen in Fujian Province.
June 11
The Ministry of Health introduced the progresses of urban community health services and new rural cooperative medical system on a routine press conference this morning. The spokesman Mao Qunan said that community health services had made positive progresses and showed favorable trend under the efforts of relevant authorities of the State Council and local governments at all levels.
June 12
The Ministry of Health released that there were 409 public health emergencies, 13039 patients and 25 deaths reported in 30 provinces (excluding Hongkong, Taiwan and Macao) across the country, according to the public health emergency management information system. There was no public health emergency reported in Tibet.
June 13
The first seminar on “Safeguarding the Legal Rights and Interests of Informers, Building a Harmonious Society” was held in Beijing. It was sponsored by the Impeaching Center of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China and co-sponsored by the Impeaching and Appealing Center of Beijing People’s Procuratorate and People’s Procuratorate of Haidian District, Beijing.
June 14
Red Cross Society of China officially launched the “Series of Activities in Commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Promulgation of the Blood Donation Law” and declared the establishment of “Red Cross Help Fund” as the special fund for the study and living of children orphaned by AIDS.
June 16
The Ministry of Civil Affairs, jointly with the Ministry of Finance, disbursed 101 million central natural calamity living fund for flood-hit residents in seven provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou.
June 16- June 19
The delegation of China Society for Human Rights Studies visited NewYork, and held talks with relevant NGOs, academic institutions and media like the American Foreign Relations Committee, Asia Association, Columbia University Human Rights research Center, the Wall Street Journal, etc.
June 17
Sun Baoshu, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Security, reported the primary situation of investigation and management of illegal use of laborers by Shanxi “black brick kilns”.
June 20
The Ministry of Finance announced that central finance had allocated the first sum of 9.396 billion yuan new rural cooperative medical care subsidy of the year 2007 and 1.033 billion yuan of 2007 urban community public health subsidy respectively to local authorities.
June 20
Premier Wen Jiabao presided the routine meeting of the State Council to listen to the report of primary situation of investigation and management of illegal use of laborers by Shanxi “black brick kilns” and study relevant work of returning agricultural land to forest land.
June 21
Beijing Municipal Labor & Social Security Bureau revealed the detailed implementation rules of medical insurance system for “people aged 60 or above, students and other non-student children aged 16 or below.”
June 26
Working conference concerning investigations on the real situation of occupational diseases was held today in Beijing. The cities of Beijing, Shenyang and Wuhan and provinces of Guizhou, Shanxi, Sichuan and Jiangsu will be chosen as main areas to carry out sample surveys for the investigations.
June 27
The Ministry of Civil Affairs, jointly with the Ministry of Finance, had disbursed 66 million central natural calamity living allowance for flood-hit residents in Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan.
June 27
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security held a videophone conference on the expansion of the special campaign of crackdown on illegal using of laborers and other violations of law and commissions of crime. Minister Tian Chengpin emphasized that departments of labor and social security at all levels should understand fully the significance of this campaign and implement properly the right measures.
July 2
The Ministry of Education held a press conference on the new policy to help university students from poor families.
July 3
It was learned from the National Symposium on Inter-City Cooperation on Legal Aid for Farmer Workers that more than 40 cities have joined the inter-city legal aid cooperation network, and more cities were ready to join the network. The key tasks of legal aid were to carry out its policies and responsibilities, make more efforts in its publicity and enlarge its coverage，said Wang Junyi, deputy director of the Legal Aid Center of the Ministry of Justice.
July 4
According to Zhang Jun, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Court has adopted the exclusive exercise of the power to approve death penalty cases since Jan. 1, 2007. The reform of death penalty approval system was implemented and transited smoothly. The approval of death penalty exercised fairly and effectively in the past half year, obeying the rules strictly and orderly. All high courts strictly handled the cases according to the law, and second trials of death sentences were conducted via open court sessions. The qualities of trials were further guaranteed.
July 4
The inaugural meeting of China Community Health Association was held in Beijing. Wu Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice-premier of the State Council and leader of the State Council Urban Community Health Leading Group, greeted the community health workers sincerely in her congratulatory letter.
July 7
The rural informationization pilot project of the Ministry of Information Industry and the Project of Shandong Rural Informationization Service system was launched in Jinan, which indicated that driven by the government, China would integrate social resources to accelerate the reconstruction of traditional agriculture by information technology, promote informationization construction in the new countryside and strengthen farmers' ability to increase income. It was learned that the rural informationization trial project would cover 16 provinces in China.
July 7
The Conference of China Enterprise Hospitals was held in Beijing. According to message from the conference, by the end of this May, 166 million people in China have been covered by medical security. Based on urban and rural social medical salvation, a multi-level medical security system has been initially formed, and its main body consists of medical insurance for urban employees and residents and new type rural cooperative medical treatment.
July 8
It was learned from the first National Forum on Experience of Promoting Socialized Old-age Care and Strengthening the Management of Old-age Care Institutions that in recent years, various types of old-age care appeared continuously, such as institutional care, home care and community service. By now, there were more than 40,000 old-age care institutions in China, and about 1.7 million bunks.
July 10
China's food and drug safety situation was not something that can be optimistic about, said Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman for the State Food and Drug Supervision Administration. The Chinese government had always been attaching great importance to food and drug security, sparing no effort to solve the current outstanding issues and explore long-lasting mechanism, seeking both temporary and permanent solutions.
July 18
It was learned from the ongoing National Workshop on Combating Domestic Violence held in Shenyang that the community has become an important field to fight against domestic violence and the number of "Zero-domestic-violence Community" has increased continuously. The ideas of preventing and combating domestic violence was getting more and more popular and the social environment was becoming better and better thanks to the efforts of media and social organizations, said Mo Wenxiu, Vice president of the All-China Women's Federation.
July 19
Jiang Jinfang, deputy director of the Department of Legal Publicity under the Ministry of Justice, recently said that at present, 3149 Legal aid agencies have been established in China, and 1132 legal aid stations have been set up in the Communist Youth League organizations to provide minors with convenient and swift legal service and legal aid.
July 20
According to the data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, China created job posts for 6.29 million new additions to the workforce and 2.79 million laid-off workers from January to June. Another 740,000 people who had difficulties in finding jobs got employed during that period. By the end of June, the nation had accomplished 70 percent of its employment targets for the year, with an increase of 210,000 more people employed year-on-year.
July 21
Wen Jiabao, premier of the State Council, visited the Desheng Street Social Security Office, resident communities and community health service centers to investigate and research on issues like basic medical insurance for urban residents and construction of community health system.
July 23
The General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress arranged a video lecture in Beijing on learning and carrying out of the Labor Contact Law, trying to explain this law in detail to all circles of the society. The Labor Contact Law will come into effect on New Year's Day next year.
July 23-24
National Conference on Pilot Work of Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Residents was held in Beijing. Wen Jiabao, premier of State Council，discussed with some representatives to hear their opinions and suggestions, and made an important speech. It was a great step to establish the Basic Medical Insurance system for Urban Residents, aiming mainly at meeting medical needs of urban non-employees, especially primary and middle school students, children, the elderly and the handicapped, said Wen Jiabao.
July 24
China's Ministry of Health has allocated 39.88 million yuan (5.24 million U.S. dollars) to the flood-hit areas in Anhui, Henan, Sichuan, Chongqing and Hunan for disease control and reconstruction after the disaster.
July 26
Funded by WHO, China's first reproductive health project of floating population declared its completion in Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan Province. After a year and a half of practice, the project has formed the "Xishan Mode" for promoting reproductive health of floating population.
July 27
The National Conference on Quality Work was held in Beijing. Wen Jiabao, premier of the State Council, attended and addressed the meeting. He indicated that product quality concerned the immediate interests of the masses, the subsistence and development of enterprises, as well as the image of the country. The government must work hard to meet the masses' increasing needs of product quality and food safety.
July 30
The 11th Sino-Australia human rights dialogue was conducted in Beijing under active, frank and constructive atmosphere. Both sides expressed that they will continue to conduct dialogues, exchanges and cooperation based on mutual respect, equal treatment and mutual noninterference in internal affairs in the field of human rights.
Aug 1
Medical Security Measures for Special-Care Receivers, promulgated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Health, would come into effect on Aug.1, 2007.
A State Council routine meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao discussed and approved in principle the Opinions of the State Council on Solving Housing Difficulties for Urban Low-Income Families. Relevant policies on adjustment of basic pensions for corporate retirees were also discussed.
Aug 2
The Ministry of Education launched the "Plan of Supporting the Training of Xinjiang Primary and Middle School Teachers", which was one of the three major plans of the Ministry of Education to train teachers in western and minority areas during this summer vacation. More than 1,000 core teachers in Xinjiang would attend this 10-day state-level training.
Aug 8
The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) held a regular press conference this morning. According to Yan Jiangying, the spokeswoman of the SFDA, the Administration had begun to research and implement a "Project of Building Infrastructure of Food and Drug Supervision System". China will invest 8.8 billion yuan (around 1.2 billion U.S. dollars) to this project, of which, 6.3 billion will come from the central government and the rest from the local government.
Aug 13
China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) held a forum on launching a judicial assistance program for the courts of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Jiang Xingchang, vice president of the SPC, said Xinjiang faced a more complicated situation than other areas. The SPC agreed to launch an assistance program, in which judges from other provinces will be dispatched to Xinjiang, and judiciary staff from Xinjiang Courts will go to other provinces for training. More funds and judicial facilities will be given to the courts of Xinjiang, so as to improve local courts' capacity and maintain sustainable economic and social development.
Aug 15
Hu Xiaoyi, vice minister of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security released that more than 26 million migrant workers had been covered by the health insurance for special and severe illness. And according to this year's plan, the number will exceed 30 million.
Wen Jiabao, premier of the State Council, chaired a routine meeting of the State Council to research and deploy the disaster resistance and relief work.
Aug 16-17
The National symposium on Management and Service Work for the Floating Population was held in Dalian, Liaoning Province.
Aug 20
Co-sponsored by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, the Ministry of Justice and the National Office for Law Popularization, the "Teenager Road Traffic Safety Online Knowledge Competition" kicked off today, marking the official start-up of the 4th National Teenager Online Law Popularization Knowledge Competition.
Aug 22
Shanghai Internet Addicted Teenagers Camp was launched officially. 22 teenagers, with their parents, would receive 10 days of special correction training. This was the first movement to get rid of internet addiction by the method of interaction between parents and children.
Aug 23
China's State Council held a teleconference on specialized rectification of national products quality and food security.
Aug 24
Sponsored by China Ageing Development Foundation, the charity project called "Caring for the Senior, Macrobian China" was started up in Beijing.
Aug 24-25
The National Conference on Urban Housing was held in Beijing. Zeng Peiyan, Vice Premier of the State Council attended and addressed the meeting. He indicated that housing was an important issue of people's livelihood, so local governments should take active measures to strengthen the construction of low-rent housing system and solve the housing problem of urban low-income families. Housing structure should be further adjusted, housing price should be stabilized and healthy development of real estate market should be promoted, he said.
Aug 27
According to Li Changjiang, head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Council newly established a national leading group to address product quality and safety issues. The group is headed by vice premier Wu yi, who called for an integrated quality monitoring network across the country, covering product design, raw materials, processing, sales and service.
Aug 28
Dong Yunhu, Vice President and Secretary-General of China Society for Human Rights Studies met the Hungarian human rights delegation headed by Lstvan Lakatos, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Human Rights affairs under the Hungarian Foreign Ministry.
Aug 28
To protect legal rights and interests of consumers and business operators, State Development and Reform Commission recently emended the Provisions on the Administrative Punishment of Price-related Violations and submitted it to the State Council for deliberation.
Aug 29
China's Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and state Development Bank jointly held a signing and launching ceremony for a pilot project. Administrative regions that signed on the agreement will provide credit loan for students from their own regions. The first batch of five provinces and municipalities were approved to take the leading in doing so. They are Gansu, Jiangsu, Hubei, Chongqing and shaanxi.
Aug 30
China's top legislature approved the Emergency Response Law of the People's Republic of China this afternoon.
Sep 5
According to Chen Zhu, Minister of Public Health, from this year, the construction of China's new rural cooperative medical insurance system had began to shift from the pilot phase to the comprehensively promoting phase. The new system should cover 80 percent of the country's rural population in 2007, and almost all of them in 2008. Chen said a total of 24.147 billion yuan (about 3.17 billion U.S. dollars) was pooled for the fund within the first half year, including 1.47 billion yuan of central government subsidies, 13.08billion yuan from the local government and 9.2 billion yuan from rural residents themselves.
Sep 8
The Minister of Public Health Chen Zhu announced China's three strategic steps of development of basic health-care system and relevant action plans. The first step is to initially establish basic framework of the health-care system covering all residents by 2010, to make China one of the countries with nationwide basic health care; the second step is to make China's health service and health care level rank among the first of developing countries by 2015; and the third step is to maintain its status gained by the second step, at the same time, make health-care system in the entire east region and part of the midwest region near or equal to the level of moderately developed countries by 2020.
Sep 9
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a special trip to Beijing Normal University to call on Charge-free teacher-training freshmen on the eve of China's 23rd Teacher's Day. Wen, accompanied by State Councilor Chen Zhili, attended a colloquium with hundreds of students and faculties of the university.
Sep 11
China's State Environmental Protection Administration issued the "Guiding Opinions on Development of Ecological Compensation Pilot Work". According to relevant officials from the Administration, via the pilot work, ecological compensation standard system for key realms would be established, diverse measures and modes of ecological compensation would be explored, formulation and perfection of relevant policies and regulations on ecological compensation would be promoted, and the basis on which the mechanism of ecological compensation is to be fully established would be settled.
Sep 13
The Supreme People's Court issued the Decision on Further Strengthening the Work of Criminal Trial.
Sep 18
According to Zhou Bohua, director general of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) of the State Council, the State Council recently decided to carry out a four-month special campaign to improve product quality and food safety.
Sep 18
The Civilization Office of the CPC Central Committee, All China Federation of Trade Unions, Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League and All China Women's Federation jointly issued the Decision on Commending National Moral Models. Li Mingsu and other 52 persons were honored as "National Moral Models", while Sun Maofang and other 253 persons won the "Nomination for the National Moral Model".
Sep 22
The vice chairman of National Council for Social Security Fund Wang Zhongmin revealed at China's Social Security Forum that since the establishment of the National Social Security Fund, on a time-weighted basis, the average annual rate of return was 3.89 percent, while the average annual operating yield was 6.88%, respectively 2.84 times and 5.02 times of the inflation rate in the corresponding year. In the first half of this year, the yield rate of National Social Security Fund achieved 15.2 percent, and operating income rate was 21.01 percent. As of the end of June, 2007, the National Social Security Fund, on a time-weighted basis, the cumulative operating profit was more than 147.9 billion yuan.
Sep 27
China Development Report 2007: Eliminating Poverty while Developing completed after one and a half year of compilation by many experts organized by China Development Research Foundation. The report showed that from 1981 to 2004, China's poverty rate sharply declined from 64 percent to 10 percent. Statistics showed that, according to the same standards of poverty, China's poverty rate was 23.4 percent higher than the world average level in 1981, yet in 2001, China's poverty rate was 4.5% lower than the world average level.
Sep 27
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with model workers of the coal industry and representatives of advanced collectivities. He indicated that life of every miner must be cherished and assuring safety in production must be regarded as a significant duty of governments and enterprises. Chairman of the National Women's Federation Gu Xiulian, State Councilor Hua Jianmin, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee Hao Jianxiu attended the meeting.
Oct 1
From October 1, the Property Law, the amended Property Management Regulation and some other laws and regulations formally went into effect, which would bring about significant influence to the production and life of the public.
Oct 1
China's National Special Drug Surveillance Information Network was initially formed. The network would enable drug watchdogs at all levels to detect irregularities in the production and distribution of anesthetic and psychotropic drugs to prevent problems at an early stage.
Oct 2
According to the latest data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics, 410 million farmers have joined the new rural cooperative medical care system, accounting for nearly half of China's rural population.
Oct 4
To enable the minors to benefit from the websites and avoid disadvantages, China launched for the first time an exclusive cyberspace for them this year.
Oct 8
Li Yizhong, director general of the State Administration of Safe Production Supervision, said today that China was conducting investigations of nine major infrastructures for hidden dangers, including civil aviation, shipping, road transport, large-scale water conservancies and coal mines, important electric power facilities, oil and gas facilities, and urban infrastructures.
Oct 10
Today is the International Day for Disaster Reduction. China's Ministry of Civil Affairs staged some activities in Beijing to publicized disaster reduction knowledge to pupils. "Disaster reduction starts from schools" is the theme of the Day for two straight years.
Oct 15
The 17th National Congress of the CPC opened in the Great Hall of the People this morning. In the report to the Congress, Hu Jintao, secretary-general of the CPC, mentioned the issue of construction of China's human rights cause for several times. When reviewing the Work of the Past Five Years, he said the cause of China's human rights witnessed sound development. Concerning the development of socialist democracy, he clearly put forward that "We must respect and safeguard human rights, and ensure the equal right of participation and development for all members of the society in accordance with the law". The guarantee of civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights and rights to subsistence and development for all members of the society was fully discussed.
Oct 17
To call for the entire society to participate in eradication of poverty and construction of a harmonious world, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation launched an activity called "Participating Monthly Donating" today on the International Day for Poverty Eradication.
Oct 17
The European Union is willing to strengthen human rights exchanges and cooperation with China, said Jose Manuel Duarte de Jesus, ambassador with the Foreign Ministry of Portugal, at the ongoing 24th round of China-EU Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing. Portugal is currently holding the EU presidency. During the talks, Wu Hailong, director-general of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, the Foreign Ministry of China, briefed Jesus on China's improvement in human rights protection, judicial reform and social security system. The two sides also discussed bilateral cooperation in international human rights field and religious freedom, labor rights and racialism, among other topics. The EU side spoke highly of the Chinese government's efforts in improving and protecting human rights. The China-EU Human Rights Dialogue, which began in 1997, is held every half year.
Oct 18
Eleven Tibetan buddhists received the highest degree of the study of Tibetan Buddhism today in Beijing after accomplishing a one-year research course. The degree, equivalent to doctorate, was granted by some eminent Tibetan monks in the Xihuang Temple in Beijing's northern downtown. The graduates were enrolled in the China Advanced Tibetan Buddhism College after taking strict examinations at Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan last year. Finishing courses of Buddhism, politics and culture that combine traditional Tibetan Buddhism education with modern teaching methods in the college, established 20 years ago as a training base for Tibetan buddhists, the 11 monks will return to their hometowns and further spread the religion. They are the third group of graduates from the college since 2004, when China launched the new degree system for the study of Tibetan Buddhism in an effort to improve the education and foster more outstanding monks. Including the 11, there have been 33 graduates getting the doctorate from the college.
Oct 22
Data released today by China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security shows that during the special campaign of renovating illegal employment, there had been 176,000 employing units signed labor contract retroactively with 2.693 million labourers.
Oct. 27
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) jointly launched a women's training center today in Nanning, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. At the inauguration ceremony, Huang Qingyi, vice-chairperson of China's National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, called on various countries to further promote exchanges between women and help them to improve ability to participate in political affairs and social development. Khamchanh Phomsaengsavanh, vice president of the Lao's Women's Union, said the newly established center is expected to play a great role in promoting equality between men and women in China and the ASEAN.
Oct 28
After three times of review, the Amendment to the Code of Civil Law was approved by the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress on its thirtieth session. The Amendment is to protect civilians' right of sue with every effort.
Oct 31
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao presided over a State Council executive meeting, at which a draft law on food safety was discussed and approved in principle. The draft law proposed a food safety risk supervision and evaluation mechanism to provide a "key basis" for constituting food safety standards and food born disease control measures. The mechanism demanded a "unified, timely, objective and accurate" disclosure of emergency information. The draft law says imported food and additives must meet China's national food safety standards while food products exported from China to other countries and regions should satisfy the compulsory requirements set by importers and pass local entry inspection and quarantine. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Margaret Chan on Wednesday expressed appreciation on China's efforts to crack down on food safety problems.
Nov 1
China's Health Minister Chenzhu expressed in the International Symposium on Chinese Rural Primary Health Care Development that 720 million people in 2,429 counties were included in the pilot project of new-type rural Cooperative Medical Service by the end of June, 2007, accounting for 85% of the total number national wide. The Symposium was jointly held by China's Ministry of Health and WHO. Over 150 representatives from 12 countries and 6 international organizations attended the meeting.
Nov 5
The Legislative Affairs Office of China's State Council has given the public ten days to make submissions on its draft regulations on paid vacation. According to the draft released Monday, all employees of government organs, civil organizations, enterprises, and public-service institutions are entitled to take paid vacation after serving the same employer for one year. Employees who have worked from one to ten years would have five days paid vacation; those who have worked for ten to 20 years would have ten days; and those with more than 20 years 15 days. Legal holidays and weekends will not be included as paid vacation. The draft stipulates that "employees should enjoy their full daily salary and welfare during the vacation just as when they are working". The draft was issued in accordance with the Labor Contract Law and the Law on Civil Servants, says the draft regulations.
Nov 6
According to Zhang Mingliang, director of the Department of Social Welfare and Social Affairs under China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Chinese government plans to build 83 new orphanages in 2008, as part of the effort to improve child welfare infrastructure. The State Development and Reform Commission plans to allocate 130 million yuan (17 million US dollars) for the construction, while the Ministry of Civil Affairs will use 200 million yuan (26 million US dollars) from the income of the Welfare Lottery. Efforts would also focus on improving the facilities and functions of orphanages, so as to provide orphans with fostering, medical care, special education, rehabilitation, and vocational training, said Zhang.
Nov 7
China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security released Provisions on Employment Service and Management, which included nine chapters and 77 articles, further detailed and perfected relevant system of employment service, management and assistance.
Nov 10
A three-day National Training and Employment System Working Conference was held in Haikou, Hainan Province, which deployed the employment goals and tasks of the governments for the next year. According to Chinese Vice-Minister of Labor and Social Security Zhang Xiaojian, departments of Labor and Social Security would solve reemployment of employees laid off because of enterprises' bankruptcy and from state-owned enterprises, as well as employment of college graduates and new generation farmer workers.
Nov 12
During his visit to some needy citizens in Dongcheng District of Beijing today, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said his government would take measures to ensure sufficient supply and stabilize prices. To prop up people's incomes, Wen called on employers in the country to offer higher salaries and to strictly abide by the rules on minimum wages. To prevent prices from rising drastically, the government was trying to ensure adequate supply by giving support to the pig-raising, cooking oil and dairy industries and encouraging imports, said Wen. It was also cracking down on activities that attempted to force up prices far beyond real values, said Wen.
Nov 14
Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission released Administrative Measures for the Pension Insurance Business of Insurance Companies, which marked the normalization of pension insurance, an important part of insurance industry, with specialized departmental regulations. This is the first time to bring forward the concept of jurisdiction over rights and interests of pension insurance. The Measures further carried out the spirit of protecting the interests of insurants and beneficiaries. It categorized pension insurance business into individual pension annuity insurance business, group pension annuity insurance business and enterprise pension annuity management business.
Nov 15
The Information Office of the State Council of China on Thursday issued the country's first ever white paper on its political party system, systematically summarizing the political party system with Chinese characteristics. The 15,000-word white paper comprises ten chapters: the preface; An inevitable choice in China's social development; A basic political system for China; Major manifestations of socialist democracy; Political consultation in the multi-party cooperation system; Multi-party cooperation system and building of state power; Multi-party cooperation system and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Multi-party cooperation system and modernization; conclusion and appendix.
Nov 15
Chinese Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo expressed in the National Urban and Rural Medical Assistance Working Conference that China's multi-layered medical assistance system was being gradually established and perfected. Adjusting to local conditions and with a view to the poor people, serious disease aid, out-patient aid, quota aid and medical cost reduction and remission formed the multi-facet and multi-layered medical assistance system.
Nov 19
Chinese National Population and Family Planning Commission, united with other 13 departments, released Several Opinions on Strengthening Rural Population and Family Planning Work.
Nov 20
Zhang Xinfeng, Chinese vice minister of public security, said today at the meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security that a soon-to-be-released document for local governments would help 140 million migrant people get access to better housing, medical services and education for their children. "All local governments should incorporate the document's new measures for the migrant population into their economic and social development plans," he said. Under the new measures, governments will: Be responsible for educating the children of migrant workers in their adopted homes. Build dorms for migrant workers to improve their living conditions.
Encourage migrant workers to obtain insurance cover for work and basic medical care. Provide them with the same free services available to the registered population in areas such as infectious disease prevention and treatment, children's vaccination and maternity care. Gradually commit to giving migrant workers in stable employment the opportunity for permanent residency status.
Nov 22
Fan Xiaojian, deputy chief of the State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said at a symposium on the situations and policies of poverty alleviation that a "grand pattern of poverty alleviation" had gradually emerged in China and brought far-reaching influence to China's development of poverty alleviation.
Nov 26
Addressing some 1,500 delegates at the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Li Baodong, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said the world should seek peace and promote development, as peace and development are still the main themes in the world today. China made proposals to the international community about how to deal with humanitarian challenges caused by armed conflicts, terrorism, transnational crimes, epidemics, lack of natural resources and climate change. Concerning development of international humanitarianism, Li presented four opinions: to seek peace and promote development, to seek unity and strengthen cooperation, to adhere to principles and emphasize spreading of international humanitarian law and to put emphasis on mechanism and action.
Nov 29
According to Basic Situation of China's Social Insurance in Recent Years released by China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security, 187.66 million people were covered by basic endowment insurance system by the end of 2006, and covering percentage of urban enterprise basic endowment insurance system was 76%, which had expanded from employees of enterprises to self employed and other flexible employees.
Dec 1
The 1st Forum on Development of China's Cause of the Handicapped was held today in Beijing. According to Cheng Kai, vice chairman of the executive council of China Federation of the Handicapped, in recent 20 years, the population of the handicapped in China had decreased to at least 15 million.
Dec 12
Sponsored by China's State Council Information Office, the Training Class of Human Rights Knowledge for Cadres from CCCPC and State Organs started in Beijing. Over 40 members from central party and state organs and central media took part in this training.
Dec 20
China released today an anti-trafficking plan for curbing human trade in women and children for the next five years. The plan, to be implemented from 2008 to 2012, set a general objective to minimize crimes of trading in women and children and to minimize the physical and psychological pain they suffered. According to the plan, a ministerial-level joint meeting headed by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) would be established and local regions, especially where trafficking cases frequently occur, should set up relevant organs.
Dec 26
Governments at all levels have recovered about 43.32 billion yuan (about 5.9 billion U.S. dollars) for migrant workers' back wages since 2003. The figure was revealed today by Sun Baoshu, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Security, in his report to a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. All levels of the Chinese government have been mobilized to solve the unpaid wage problem, and the State Council issued instructions in 2006 for dealing with the problems migrant workers have encountered. The governments have strengthened supervision of businesses that hire large numbers of migrants and provided more legal advice to the migrants to protect their rights. According to Sun, more than 60 million migrant workers have received free technical training organized by local governments since 2006. Moreover, 36.25 million migrant workers have been covered by workers' compensation plans and 31.96 million have been covered by medical insurance.
Dec 27
Chinese Minister of Civil Affairs Li Xueju said China will continue to improve its social assistance system to enable low-income people to have adequate food and clothing. More than 31 million low-income rural residents and 22 million low-income urban residents receive minimum living allowances, which have risen three times this year to reflect rising costs of daily necessities. While Li noted the progress that had been made in the social assistance system, he also admitted problems existed. "The basic living allowances in both urban and rural areas are still not adjusted in a timely manner to reflect price fluctuations," he said, adding that this situation should be remedied. The minimum living allowance system in rural areas was established this year, 10 years after a similar system was set up in urban areas.
Dec 27
The Ministry of Education held plaque offering ceremony to Henan Province for achieving the two basic educational aims: basically eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged adults and basically universalizing nine year compulsory education. By now, all central provinces in China had achieved the two basic educational aims.
Dec 28
The Standing Committee of the 12th People's Congress of Shanghai Municipality held its 41st session today. Among the 860 affirmed deputies, migrant workers, retirees, college students, and the handicapped had their respective deputies for the first time. Those born after 1980 also had their deputies, and the youngest one was only 24 years old.
