The Chinese government has set a goal of nine years of compulsory education for at least 85 percent of people in its poorer western regions, and vowed to cut youth illiteracy to five percent by 2007.

A State Council executive meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, here Tuesday decided to strengthen education in rural areas by safeguarding poor students' rights to compulsory education and boosting professional and adult education.

The State Council also decided to build a national medical treatment system to respond to serious disease outbreaks in three years. Due to the continued increase of vehicle accidents, the State Council also called for effective measures to ensure the road safety.

(People’s Daily September 3, 2003)