Corruption, rural issues, poverty top China agenda

Beijing, Mar 5: Corruption, rural issues and the rich-poor divide topped the list of priorities for some delegates to the opening session of China's annual meeting of parliament today.

Premier Wen Jiabao's two-hour, 15-minute speech was greeted with applause when he promised greater efforts to help China's 800 million rural residents, whose incomes are only around a third of their urban counterparts.

''I'm very concerned about access to education and medical services for rural people,'' said Chen Shiping, a Gelao minority from the poor southwestern province of Guizhou. ''We've haven't seen that much money coming to help us.'' Wen, who bowed deeply to the 2,890 delegates before and after speaking, said the government would offer 2.58 billion dollar in scholarships and financial aid to students next year, up from just 9.5 billion yuan this year.

''We must let the people of town and countryside, especially those in straightened circumstances, bask in the sunshine of the public purse,'' he said, standing in the cavernous main auditorium of the Great Hall of the People.

He was also applauded loudly for pledging to improve farmers' access to medical care, as well as safe drinking water, a problem that affects about 300 million people.

Yang Xixiu, also from Guizhou and decked out in the traditional silver jewellery of her Bouyi people, said that medical issues were top of her list of areas of concern.

''Doctors working in our rural areas have some complaints about their low income, which is about 60 to 100 yuan per month, and I hope the government can invest more money on the rural health care system,'' Yang said.

In his speech, Wen also singled out the government's ''work style'' as a suitable case for treatment.

''One important task we are now facing is to deal with the serious problem of extravagance and waste...,'' he said. ''Quite a few local governments, government offices and organisations compete with one another for lavishness and spend money hand over fist, which arouses strong public resentment.'' He said the ''unhealthy practices'' had to be stopped.

''There is a problem with corruption, and it's not a small one, but the state pays great attention to it,'' said Zhao Di, from the central province of Hubei.

Other delegates said that corruption was a worry, though they were careful to offer no direct criticism of the government.

But Wei Ying, from the southern region of Guangxi, said it was important to get the issue of graft in perspective.

''No country can say they are totally clean, that they have no corruption problems,'' she said. ''But I think the government has the ability to solve the problem.''

Reuters