Experts' suggestions for development heeded

President Xi Jinping underlined on Tuesday the need to create new prospects in the educational, cultural, health and sports sectors in the next five-year development phase starting in 2021 to enhance the people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark when presiding over a symposium attended by experts and representatives from the educational, cultural, health and sports sectors.

After hearing suggestions from 10 experts and representatives on educational reform, cultural innovation, the cultivation of health professionals and sports development, Xi urged relevant departments to seriously study the advice and opinions and to take them into account when compiling the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

Xi said education matters to the overall development of the Party and the State. He called for fully implementing the Party's educational guidelines and giving priority to developing the sector in the next five years in order to enhance public satisfaction with the country's education sector.

Highlighting the role of education in fostering core socialist values, Xi stressed the need to promote education equality and students' overall development.

Higher education institutions should focus on the country's strategic needs and step up efforts to tackle difficult problems in key and core technologies, he said, adding that overall reforms must be intensified in the education sector.

Xi also said people's health should be the top priority of the country's development. Concrete measures must be taken to solve existing problems and overcome new challenges that hinder the advancement of the Healthy China Initiative, he said.

Xi called for speeding up improvements to the public health system to coordinate the health sector with socioeconomic development.

Efforts should be made to balance medical resources in different regions so that more people have access to healthcare services that are fair, affordable and close to them, he said.

Xi also stressed international cooperation in the health sector, and urged efforts to improve mechanisms that allow China to actively participate in responding to major international public health emergencies, fulfill its international obligations, leverage its strength in providing anti-epidemic materials and advance the building of a global community of health for mankind.

During the meeting, Xi underscored the importance of culture in promoting high-quality growth and catering to the people's increasing need to live a better life.

He said development of the cultural sector should be put in a prominent position in the country's overall development and efforts should be made to ensure that the sector can prosper.

He also called for reforms and innovation in the sports sector, and required the hosting of high-quality Beijing Winter Olympics and Beijing Winter Paralympics in 2022.