State Council meeting calls for advancement of reforms in market-based allocation of production factors

An executive meeting of China's State Council on Friday called for the advancement of reforms in the market-based allocation of production factors, and studied options to pilot those reforms in certain regions of the country.

The executive meeting, chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, noted that advancing these reforms is important in the development of a high-standard socialist market economy and a significant part of efforts to build a unified national market.

The meeting said that full play should be given to the decisive role of market forces in resource allocation, with the aim of ensuring that production factor prices are determined by the market, that the flow of production factors is autonomous and orderly, and that allocation is efficient and fair.

The meeting also emphasized that the piloting of reforms must be carried out with a focus on key areas and crucial links. Pilot regions should be encouraged to give full play to their respective strengths, and to break new ground.

Also discussed at the meeting was work to develop regular, county-level senior high schools, as well as work to improve primary-level health and medical services.

On the development of regular, county-level high schools, the meeting called for greater efforts to improve school development standards, create better teaching and living conditions, and build a stronger teaching workforce.

The meeting also approved a plan for the development of primary-level health and medical services. It underlined the need to improve chronic-disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation capabilities at the primary level, and called for the quality of diagnosis and treatment procedures for common and frequently occurring diseases to be bolstered, with the aim of meeting the people's need for diversified, high-quality health care services.