China Seeks to Ease Simmering Social Issues in Political Year

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China vowed to address the public's biggest concerns while also boosting spending on public security – twin moves that underscore the paramount importance the ruling Communist Party places on stability this year.

In a speech at the opening of an annual legislative session, Premier Li Keqiang touched on hot-button issues such as gender discrimination, access to education, housing and corruption.

Li also said the government would “crack down hard on the trafficking of women and children and protect their lawful rights and interests,” a pledge that came after people around China were outraged at lower-level officials who were seen as downplaying the plight of a mother of eight found chained in a rural shack earlier this year.

China's No. 2 official also said the government would “work hard” to address gender and age discrimination in employment. The world's No. 2 economy has seen a slew of high-profile sexual-harassment episodes, including a lawsuit brought by a former intern at state broadcaster China Central Television.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and legions of other officials are vying to secure their political futures before a party congress in the second half of the year. Xi is expected to land a precedent-breaking third term in office, in part by delivering to the masses “common prosperity,” a broad campaign that seeks to both narrow the wealth gap and curb big tech.

The government is also making sure that law enforcement in the nation of 1.4 billion people has the resources it needs to ensure stability, a word Li used 24 times in his speech broadcast to the nation.

The central government of the Asian nation plans to boost spending on public security this year by 3.2%, according to Bloomberg calculations based on Ministry of Finance budget data also released Saturday. That's the biggest increase since 2018.

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In his speech, Li also vowed the government would “explore new models for housing development and encourage both housing rentals and purchases.” He called on the property market to better meet reasonable demand from homebuyers, marking the first time non-subsidized housing was mentioned in the key report since 2014.

China has seen home sales fall since July last year, as buyer confidence weakened during a liquidity crisis that rippled through the property industry following a crackdown on excess borrowing.

The government's budget report also hinted that more needed to be done to curb official corruption and wasteful spending, issues that have been a wellspring of frustration for the Chinese public for years. “Some localities and departments have failed to implement belt-tightening measures effectively,” it said.

Li also said in his speech that officialdom had “room for improvement.”

“Some officials, by disregarding serious infringements on the rights and interests of the people, have been derelict in their duties,” he said. “Corruption remains a common problem in some sectors.”

With assistance from Bloomberg