Farmers, school fees and medicine identified as priorities
The central government has rolled out a series of initiatives for its populist policies in the new year, including protecting farmers' share of profits from grain price rises, banning arbitrary fees on students and accelerating the reduction of medical fees.
Under the populist approach followed by the leadership of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao , the government has identified medical, education and rural reforms as its policy priorities. They come as the Communist Party struggles to maintain its legitimacy and assuage public grievances in a society divided between the haves and have nots.
State media has been filled with government pledges to accelerate reforms to provide public services at more reasonable prices and promises to protect farmers' interests. On prime-time news on China Central Television yesterday, Mr Wen was shown talking to farmers and grain merchants during a visit to the north of Jiangsu province and asking if farmers had benefited from recent grain price rises.
When he was told farmers earned about a fifth of a yuan when they sold half a kg of rice for 1 yuan, with the rest of the money going to the vendors, mills and transport operators, Mr Wen said farmers should have a bigger share in the profit.
'Farmers work hard but earn little. Therefore, most of the profit from a rise in grain prices should go to farmers,' he said.