China unveils new measures to facilitate life services

BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have introduced a set of new measures to shore up the weak links in the country's life services sector and improve people's quality of life, according to a document published on Tuesday.

The document puts forward 30 measures covering nine areas, including the promotion of services that help the elderly with their meals and other daily needs in major cities, so that such services will gradually cover over 80 percent of communities in five years, and support the private sector to participate in the development of urban childcare services.

The document stressed the importance of efforts to strengthen the supply of basic welfare services, increase the supply of inclusive life services and vigorously develop community services for the convenience of residents.

Measures to shore up existing weak links include improving community-level services facilities, providing large-scale vocational training programs, and creating a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment.

The document also pledges fiscal, financial and investment support, as well as improvements in coordination mechanisms to boost life services.