Gov't to emphasize urban charity  

城市慈善将成中国慈善事业发展首要任务

中国民政部部长李立国27日在此间表示，要把城市慈善作为当前和今后一个时期中国公益慈善事业发展的首要任务，切实抓紧抓好，抓出显著成效.

Yinchuan (CNS) - The government will place urban charity as the top priority for China's charity development in the coming period, Civil Affairs Minister Li Liguo said Monday.

Li spoke at a research conference in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Li said urban residents account for 51.3 percent of the total population in China, and urban charity radiates into local regions and corresponds with rural areas.

In Ningxia, the poverty-stricken population has reached more than one million, there are more than 400,000 disabled persons and 350,000 people living in unhealthy environments, Wang Zhengwei, chairman of the Ningxia government, said in a keynote speech at the conference.

Social charity is urgently needed to help the government improve living standards, Wang added.