Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for acceleration of the coverage of a social security system in both urban and rural areas.

The social security system should be built under the principle of wide coverage, multi-layer, sustainable growth and meeting people's basic needs, he said Friday at a group study of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Hu, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said the social security system should focus on improving citizen's basic old-age pension and basic medical insurance service, with charity and commercial insurance as supplements.

Social security system concerns all the people's health and well-being, and Party committees and governments at all levels should fully understand the importance and urgency to improve the system which helps enhance the building of a harmonious society, the president said.

The development of social security system is also an essential work to maintain social stability and harmony, and keep economic growth, he said.

The government should give priority to ensuring that the basic living allowances could be available to every resident in need no matter where he or she lives, Hu said.

The government should also work out an ultimate solution to cover all the country's residents under the social security system by increasing the beneficiaries of basic medical insurance, new rural cooperative medical system, unemployment insurance, work injury insurance and other security regulations step by step, Hu said.

Special attention should be given to work relating to rural residents who comprise a weak group in the social security system, Hu said.

The president asked governments at all levels to speed up resolving the medical care issues for employees and retirees in bankrupt and poorly-managed companies.

For those rural residents whose farming lands have been expropriated by local governments for construction projects, the government should implement compensations and social security benefits for them, Hu stressed.

For laid-off workers, the government should complete and improve the unemployment insurance.

The government should also bring into play the rural and urban social assistance system in helping poor families, retirees and college students with their basic livelihood, the president said.

Hu promised to increase financial budget in the construction of social security system and continue to raise basic pension to retirees.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2009)