China encourages family planning reforms

NANJING - China is encouraging trial reform efforts for the country's population and family planning policy, according to an official meeting held Wednesday.

Greater courage is needed to deepen and advance comprehensive reforms in the field, said a circular issued after a meeting held in the city of Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu province.

Governments in trial areas will be allowed to explore their own solutions based on local conditions and practices, the circular said.

Reform efforts will include strengthened research on relevant issues and the improvement of the government's ability to coordinate population growth and economic development, it said.

The circular also called on population and family planning authorities to better perform their duties and to take a people-oriented approach in providing services to the public.

The circular urged trial areas to create policies that will favor healthy and sustainable progress for the reforms.

Chen Li, deputy director of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, said population issues are key to the country's economic and social development.

Chen called on relevant authorities and officials to foster innovation in population-related administration and service systems.

Population plans should be a priority in local governments' overall plans for economic and social development, as well as within their public service systems, Chen said.

The commission has established partnerships with six provincial-level regions -- Inner Mongolia, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Fujian and Henan -- as well as 103 cities to carry out the reform trials.