China has basically achieved the goal set by the World Civil Education Meeting in 1990 to provide basic education to all children, youth and adults by 2000.

According to a report issued today by the China Civil Education 2000 supervisory group, the Chinese government and education departments have worked hard in the past decade to make this important project successful.

"China can announce to the world that it has realized its commitment to popularize nine-year compulsory education and eliminate youth illiteracy in the 19990s," says the report.

At present, 98.9 percent of children are enrolled in primary schools, as against 97 percent in 1990. Over 87.3 percent of primary school graduates have entered middle schools, also an increase over 71.4 percent of 1990.

China has helped four million people out of illiteracy annually.

The report also shows that China has 127 million primary school students, and 182 million illiterates over age 15. The Chinese government is still faced with the hard task of eliminating illiteracy and spreading nine-year compulsory education.

The report is issued by UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, the State Development planning Commission, the Women and Children Working Committee of the State Council, the State Statistics Bureau, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.