Improving people's well-being remains key for China's next five years

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Improving people's well-being will continue to be a priority for China's development over the next five years, as the country adheres to a people-centered development philosophy, a researcher said during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

Hou Yongzhi, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, noted that China has made comprehensive arrangements to implement this people-centered philosophy over the next five years, covering population development, livelihood improvement and social security.

To pursue people-centered development, the government must both address people's urgent difficulties and concerns and build a solid material foundation to resolve them, Hou said.

It is also important to raise the level and quality of public services in step with the growth of government fiscal capacity, he said, adding that it's important to expand the supply and improve the quality of public goods.

Local authorities should act in light of local conditions and implement livelihood-related policies in ways that suit their own realities, he added.