Premier stresses efforts to ease burden of raising children

Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday stressed efforts to ease the burden faced by the public in child bearing, care and education as the country implemented the third-child birth policy, saying population is an issue that is of fundamental, overall and strategic significance to the development of the Chinese nation.

In an instruction to a national video and telephone conference on improving birth policies, Li said the implementation of the third-child birth policy and supporting measures in China are major decisions made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council to further adapt to the new changes in the population structure.

It is also a major move to promote long-term and balanced population development, as well as boosting high-quality development, he said.

Li urged efforts be made in supporting births with better services, accelerating the development of an affordable childcare services system and advancing the alignment of birth policies with relevant economic and social policies.

The legitimate rights and interests of families that gave birth to children under the family planning policy should be well guaranteed, he said.

The premier asked governments at all levels and relevant departments to formulate specific plans and support measures to implement the third-child birth policy, which he said was a good thing for the country and the people.

Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan attended the meeting on Tuesday and delivered a speech.

In May, China unveiled its third-child policy at a key meeting of the CPC, in an effort to actively address the aging of the population during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).