Li Bin brings rich experience to health and family planning commission
Former Anhui governor has rich background in both health and national family planning affairs
Minister in charge of the newly established Health and Family Planning Commission Li Bin yesterday said she was well aware of the importance of her job, but shed little light on how she was going to address the two tricky issues of health-care reform and the controversial birth control policies.
"We always bless people with the blessings that we wish everybody: health and a happy family. You can tell the weight of healthcare and family in people's hearts," Li said on the sidelines of the NPC yesterday after her appointment was announced.
"We have to take our job seriously … to deepen medical and health-care reform and do a good job with the family planning work."
With her rich background in both health and national family planning affairs, it came as little surprise that the former Anhui governor was selected as head of a newly created commission overseeing both sectors.
The appointment makes Li, 58, the fourth female minister of public health, following Li Dequan, Liu Xiangping and Wu Yi.
She worked in the National Population and Family Planning Commission for more than four years, first as a deputy and then as director, until she was named governor of Anhui in 2011. Prior to that, Li Bin was in charge of health, social security and labour in her six years as deputy governor of Jilin , from 2001 to 2007.
Ahead of Li's appointment, reporters at the Great Hall of the People asked former health minister Dr Chen Zhu nearly two weeks ago to comment on rumours that Li would be named to the post. "The central government has a sharp eye for picking the most able person," he said.