Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang on Friday called for better management of social security funds and more efforts to maintain and increase the value of the funds.

He said new ways to develop national social security funds and improve China's social security funds system should be explored.

Zhang made the remarks at a meeting held in Beijing to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the birth of China's national social security funds.

In the past ten years, the national social security funds have increased in size and investment channels have been expanded due to prudent management, Zhang said.

By the end of 2009, the country's social security funds totaled 692.7 billion yuan (102.32 billion U.S. dollars) and the average rate of return on investments was 16.1 percent.