Chinese state councilor calls for expanded services consumption, safeguarded livelihoods

NANCHANG -- Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin has called for efforts to expand services consumption in sectors like culture, tourism and elderly care, and to strengthen work on the key issues affecting people's livelihoods.

Shen made the remarks during a research tour from Sunday to Wednesday in East China's Jiangxi province.

She emphasized the need for innovative approaches to create premium cultural-tourism brands and routes to transform resource advantages into development strengths, and highlighted the importance of transforming the cultural-tourism sector into a pillar industry to bring sustained economic vitality.

It is crucial that China enhances its basic elderly care system, promotes home modifications involving old-age-friendly facilities, and develops its silver economy, Shen said. She called for increased assistance for people with disabilities, children in need, and low-income and unemployed citizens, and for efforts to safeguard the basic living standards of people in difficulty.

Stressing the need to ensure both development and security, Shen also urged enhanced safety management of tourist sites, public cultural institutions and social services organizations, among others.