Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu praised the handicapped-accessible facilities in twelve Chinese cities, while encouraging local officials to think more about the elderly and the handicapped in city planning.

"The Party and the central government always pay high attention to the benefits of socially disadvantaged groups," said Hui, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. He praised the cities that had already included the construction of such facilities in their city planning.

"Accessible facilities allow all people to participate in social activities fairly and to have an equal share of the country's economic achievements," he said.

Hui made the comments at an award ceremony where he presented plaques to representatives from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Suzhou, Qinghuangdao and five other cities.

Hui instructed local officials in cities across China to pay more attention to the construction of accessible facilities to provide the elderly and the handicapped "a safe and easy living ina modern city."
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2005)