Asset Shares Focus of Rural Reforms

Caixin Century Weekly

October 13

Since the majority of land in China's rural areas is held by collective ownership, the Chinese Government is now pushing forward an asset shareholding system that will allow rural residents to become "shareholders" in their collective assets.

The Chinese Government has decided to separate ownership from usage rights, and the contract term of the latter has been extended to 30 years. In the mid-1990s, the shareholding system was used in township enterprises, particularly in regions boasting highly developed collective economies like east China's Jiangsu Province.

Around that same time, the transfer of collective land ideal for construction caught the notice of the government. This was largely because this type of collectively owned land was harder to deal with if township enterprises went bankrupt or were transformed into other corporate forms.

An uptick in urbanization, too, has thrust the problem of rural housing sites into the spotlight. While the ownership of these sites is still in collective hands, the usage rights belong to farmers, and thus the farmers' assets are not fully ensured.

As a result, in the process of land acquisition, unscrupulous village or township officials may act as agents of the ownership with little or no regard for farmers' interests. Thus, it is now imperative that the Central Government institute shareholding system-oriented reform on collective assets around the country.

However, challenges remain. For instance, many of these collective assets have never undergone third-party valuation. Also, rights granted to rural residents have not been clarified in many parts of the country.

Healthcare Vital at Community Level

Outlook Weekly

October 20

In recent years, the Chinese public has bemoaned the increasing difficulty of seeing a doctor and the growing expenses for medical services. In an effort to make healthcare more affordable, a pertinent solution would be to set up a complete basic medical security system. A more balanced distribution of medical resources, too, would help people gain easier access to healthcare services. Better utilizing the nation's general practitioners and community clinics is the key.

Today, however, general practitioners account for just 4.3 percent of the total number of doctors in China. Unlike big overrun hospitals, community clinics in China receive few visitors. To persuade people to start visiting community clinics for minor ailments, there must be a sufficient number of high-quality general practitioners in employ.

Most hospitals recruit only doctors with Ph.D degrees, leaving many excellent medical college undergraduates and postgraduates unable to find jobs. Despite this, grads without doctoral degrees still choose not to work as general practitioners in community clinics because of the large income gap between those and specialized doctors. Thus, it is in China's interest to adopt favorable policies that encourage medical students to take up work in community clinics. If general practitioners are provided with satisfactory incomes, community clinics will surely begin to attract more than enough qualified workers.

As chronic diseases become an increasingly serious threat to public health in China, general practitioners in community clinics are more important than ever. International experience shows that without a base level of accessible medical services, a country's health and medical systems will pay a high price.

Marathon Popularity on the Rise

Beijing Morning Post

October 20

Despite the increased enrollment fee for participation in this year's Beijing Marathon on October 19, more people enrolled than in previous years. This is good news for a country that is faced with a steadily rising number of chronic disease sufferers, and shows that such races ought to be more strongly encouraged in China.

Every year, 10 million Chinese people are newly diagnosed with high blood pressure, and 10 percent of the country's population now suffers from diabetes. Of the cohort aged 15- 64, chronic diseases afflict 52 percent. It is suspected that the underlying cause for these increases is a lack in exercise: Compared to 1991, the time people now spend playing sports has decreased by 45 percent, and fewer than 12 percent of those over age 18 regularly participate in sports.

Running is the simplest and cheapest way to get fit, making it especially suitable for those living in a developing nation like China. Thus it is not surprising that in recent years, many schools have made running a required course for students. Whether doing it at school or in a marathon at the international level, running can help the public improve both physical and mental health. It's hoped that the increasing popularity of marathons like that in Beijing will help counter chronic health issues and make running a new trend across China.