The Chinese government has adopted long-term strategy and policy to promote employment and has taken various effective measures to increase employment opportunities, said Chinese labor minister on Thursday.

 

The government will "expand employment and reduce unemployment to a socially acceptable limit," said China's Minister of Labor and Social Security Tian Chengping in a speech to the Brookings Institution.

 

Tian, who arrived in Washington Tuesday night, said that China plans to create 45 million new jobs and transfer a 45 million rural labor force to the non-agricultural sector and urban areas in the next five years.

 

"To meet this target, it is necessary to closely link economic development with employment growth, build a sustainable employment mechanism while addressing existing problems," he said.

 

He also acknowledged that China will be under heavy employment pressure in a considerably long period of time due to its huge population and the weak economic foundation.

 

"In the next few years, the urban labor supply will keep at 24 million plus annually. However, there will be only 11 million jobs available from economic growth and retirement," Tian said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2006)