Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited rural residents in Luanping County in north China's Hebei Province on October 1, China's National Day.

Luanping, about 200 kilometers away from Beijing, used to be a poor county and is a focus of national poverty-relief program. Wen had inspected the county in the year of 2000.

Wen was happy to know the county's fast economic growth and great improvement of people's living conditions in recent years.

In Pianqiao village, local residents told Wen that their life is much better, but they can not afford to go to hospital for any serious illnesses while the local clinics can only take care of minor illnesses.

"It's still a big problem for rural residents," said Wen, adding that a new collaborative health care system by combining funds of central and local governments and personal accounts will be set up to help solve this problem. The tests of the new system is being conducted in some selected counties.

Clinics at county and town level will be equipped with basic medical facilities for the convenience of rural residents, said Wen.

In Liutai village, local resident Zhou Fengshan told Wen that the selling of fake seeds and pesticide has done great harm to farmers.

Wen said that it is the responsibility of the government to strengthen the management of agricultural material market, crack down on fake products and protect the interests of farmers.

"We're focusing on four issues to help farmers," Wen said when talking with farmers in Shanhou village.

The rural economy should be developed and infrastructure construction strengthened. Technological services should be offered to farmers to encourage agricultural production, Wen said.

The reform of rural areas and tax exemption should be pushed forward to allow farmers enjoy more preferential policies. A collaborative health care system should be set up, said Wen.

Basic education and vocational training should be developed in the rural areas and rural environment should be improved, Wen said.

"And the most important is that measures should be taken to increase the income of farmers and to prevent the grain prices falling down," Wen emphasized.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2005)