China's State Council, or the cabinet, on Wednesday held an executive meeting on expanding a rural subsistence allowances system that will satisfy the rural poor's minimum requirements for living.

The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, decided to cover all needy people in rural areas across the country under the allowance program, including the aged, the disabled and those who are unable to work.

Premier Wen promised in the government work report at the annual parliament session in March to expand the allowance system to all rural areas this year after experimenting in some places.

Twenty-three provinces have already established the system, benefiting 15.93 million people, about 70 percent of the total number of China's rural poor.

Local governments are responsible for the operation of the allowance program, and the central budget will allocate subsidies to areas with financial difficulties, according to the meeting.

Establishing this subsistence allowance system is an important measure to narrow the gap between rural and urban areas and safeguard social equity, said a document released after the meeting.

Local governments should strengthen management of the allowance funds, and be transparent with the operation, the document said.

China has 23.65 million rural poor, with annual per capita income lower than 683 yuan (US$87.6), by the end of 2005, 5.62 million less than in 2001, according to data from the State Council Leading Group of the Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

The meeting also approved in principle the draft of the Regulations on the Implementation of the Administrative Reconsideration Law.

China adopted the Administrative Reconsideration Law in 1999, allowing people to petition to the higher authorities to correct mistakes of the low ones.

The document said it is necessary to make detailed explanation on the Administrative Reconsideration Law in order to make it more feasible, which is conducive to settling administrative disputes and resolving social conflicts.

The draft will be further revised before promulgated by the State Council.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2007)