SASAC urges greater safety for workers

BEIJING - The State asset regulator on Friday urged central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) to increase protection of the country's workers, especially those working abroad, amid rising chaos in some Middle Eastern and North African countries.

"Central SOEs should strive to ensure their (workers) security, especially those working in overseas markets" and improving their well-being, in areas such as accommodation, said Huang Shuhe, vice-chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).

In recent years, the number of Chinese workers employed abroad has been rising rapidly. The number of workers employed by China's central SOEs is currently 6.8 million, and most of them are working abroad, according to SASAC.