Overcapacity reduction and economic structure optimization

The State Council executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on May 10, passed the 13th Five-Year Plan to develop China’s border areas, heard reports on overcapacity reduction, and urged efforts to upgrade information consumption and increase domestic demand.

Details: >> Quick view: State Council executive meeting on May 10

Further cuts in pre-approvals for industrial and commercial registration

The State Council has decided to further cancel pre-setup approval administrative items, and change five of them to post-setup registrations.

The five items include the establishment of pawnshops and their branches; the approval of joint-venture printing enterprises and foreign-invested decorating and printing enterprises; the setup of printing and publishing enterprises; the setup of permanent agencies by foreign airlines in China, and production permits for civil aviation products.

Details: >> State Council to further cut pre-approval items for industrial and commercial registration

Major medical reform tasks in 2017

The State Council issued a circular for 56 major medical reform tasks in 2017, including reforms in hierarchical diagnosis and treatment, public hospitals, universal healthcare, medicine supply, and comprehensive regulation.

Details: >> China details major tasks in healthcare reform

More budget for compulsory education

The central government’s budget for compulsory education was raised to 117 billion yuan ($17 billion), 7 billion yuan higher than in 2016, a 6.4 percent increase.

In addition to implementing the policy of exemption of tuition and textbook costs and subsidy for boarding-school students in rural areas, the central government also urges efforts to promote the same benefits in urban areas.

Medial payment across provinces

As of May 5, 1,008 medical institutions in nearly all provincial areas excluding Tibet were included in the national system for using healthcare insurance in non-registered areas.

The move will enable patients, who receive medical treatment in other provinces, to pay with their social security cards at designated medical institutions.

Relief for companies through streamlining administrative service fees

The National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a joint circular to streamline administrative service fees for companies through mechanism innovation, department coordination, and strengthened regulation.

Promotion of family doctors in 27 provincial regions

According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, 27 provincial regions have made guidance and plans to promote family doctor services.