The annual average natural growth of population will be controlled within 9‰. The maternal mortality rate is to be reduced to 42 per 100,000 with infant mortality dropping to 31‰.

China will consolidate and improve its achievements made in the nine-year compulsory education. Priorities will be given to popularizing the nine-year compulsory education in poverty-stricken areas and areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities. Social needs for senior middle school education in urban and some rural regions would be met, with junior middle school enrollment rate reaching over 90% and higher education enrollment rate further increased. Social security system is to be basically established in urban and some rural areas.

By 2010, China's Population and Development in the 21st Century goes on, the country is to have its population within 1.4 billion and the Chinese people will lead a much better life with an obvious improvement of its population quality.

The period of time for the people to receive education will be among the longest in developing countries. The people will have access to basic medical health care and reproductive health services. Informed choice of contraceptive measures is to be practiced widely and the sex ratio at birth is expected to gradually become normal. China will redouble its efforts to solve the problem of aging of population. A nationwide social security system will basically take shape by then.

By the mid-21st century, the total population would reach its peak number of 1.6 billion to be followed by a gradual decrease, say the white paper. The population quality and health level will have an overall improvement, with senior middle school education and higher education popularized nationwide. An efficient and comprehensive social security system will be in place. There will be a more rational population distribution and employment structure. The urbanization would be greatly enhanced. With a higher level of its social culture, China will have realized its modernization and achieved a coordinated development of population, economy, resources and environment.

To solve the population and development issue, according to the white paper, following principles will be observed:

-- Population and development are tackled in a unified way. Various policies and measures will be formulated and implemented to make the population growth in keeping with socio-economic development, resource utilization and environmental protection.

-- The population issue is to be solved in a comprehensive way. The management system for the population and family planning program will be further improved in line with the socialist market economy, with legal, educational, economic and administrative measures combined in tackling the population problem.

--The government guidance is to be combined with the people's wishes. When adopting policies, the government needs to give due consideration to both the national and individual interests, the long-term and short-term interests, and the local interests as well as the interests of the whole. Administrative measures should be integrated with mass work so as to promote the voluntary participation of the masses.

--The nationwide promotion is based upon specific guidance for different localities. Rural and under-developed areas are given priorities in economic development, while the exemplary role of cities and developed regions is given full play in further boosting the development of different regions.

--It is essential to promote the human-centered development in a comprehensive way. Assistance especially quality service should be offered to the people in their endeavors to have happy and more civilized families.

(CIIC 12/20/2000)