The United Nations Development Program released its latest report on Sunday on human development in China. The report calls on China to further develop basic public services for the nation's 1.3 billion people.

The report says China's Human Development Index, or HDI, has increased rapidly during the past three decades. The HDI reflects not only the nation's growing economic status, but also improvements in people's real living standards.

Achievements aside, challenges remain.

Zhao Baige, Vice Minister of China Nat'l Population & Family Planning Comm., said, "Development gaps have emerged and widened sharply between urban and rural areas, between Eastern and Western China, between men and women, and between registered urban residents and urban migrants. "

The report notes that one of China's key tasks in the future is developing access-for-all public services, along with narrowing and wiping out gaps in living standards.

(CCTV November 17, 2008)