China plans to make its pension system coverage expand from the present 174 million to more than 220 million people in 2010, with an annual increase of 10 million, Minister of Labor and Social Security (MLSS) Tian Chengping said Friday.

"China still has a great number of employees and individuals from non- public ownership enterprises excluded from the present old-age pension system," said Tian at a work conference held Friday.

The plan will extend the system coverage to workers of various sorts of urban businesses, self-employed people and people with no fixed jobs, he said.

The ministry said that 174 million people have participated in the corporate old-age pension system at present, as compared with 112 million in 1998.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2006)