Medical insurance to cover all urban residents
9 July 2007
China announced plans to establish a new medical insurance system that would cover all urban residents, including the unemployed, according to Xinhua (in Chinese). The system is currently in an experimental phase in selected cities and towns around the country. Governments should realize the importance of medical insurance for all urban residents and make thorough investigations to implement it, said Wu Yi, China's vice premier, at a symposium recently held by the State Council, China's cabinet. The State Council will discuss and decide further experiments to spread the system to more of the country's cities. China's current urban population stands at about 560 million.