China said yesterday it plans to control its mainland population to within 1.5 billion by 2020 and improve the health of its citizens.

The central government also pledged to develop new technologies in the reproductive health sector.

The plan is part of the country's new technological growth blueprint for the next 15 years, which was released yesterday by the State Council.

The population target allows for a rise of up to 200 million from the current figure.

The government also said in the blueprint that it will try to control birth defects to below 3 per 1,000 of all new-borns.

The nation will develop technologies, medicines and equipment to ensure better reproductive outcomes and healthcare products, the plan said.

China will also promote contraception and family planning, it said.

In addition, the government will put more effort into developing technologies to prevent non-infectious serious diseases such as tumors and vascular ailments and diagnose these diseases at an earlier stage, according to the blueprint.

One person dies of brain or heart vascular disease every 15 seconds on the mainland, the Ministry of Health said last October. The number of mainland's patients with high blood pressure topped 160 million in October 2005.

The ministry said nearly 19 percent of Chinese citizens over age 18 suffered from high-blood pressure in 2004. That represented a 31 percent rise from 1991, the ministry said.

China will also put intensive efforts into preventing and treating common diseases.

In addition, the government will further develop traditional Chinese medicine, improve its clinical effectiveness and ensure the industry's healthy growth, according to the new plan. As such, the country will carry out more reforms and innovations to bring out the best in traditional medical science.

In meeting the population goal, the government urged Chinese scientists to come up with new medications and state-of-the-art medical equipment instead of relying on imports from foreign sources.

(Shanghai Daily February 10, 2006)