In response to a question on the income gap issue, the premier said China has adopted a number of policies and measures to help the low-income groups in China, including the country's peasants, and laid-off workers, the unemployed as well as retirees.

A considerable portion of his government work report deals with the issue of raising the income of the peasants, which has become one of the priorities of the government, Zhu said at a press conference given by the annual session of the National People's Congress.

In the meantime, the Chinese government attaches great attention to establishing a national social security system to care for the laid-off, unemployed and retired workers, another major task for the government, he added.

Zhu went on to say the central government will move to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor through fiscal budget arrangements and taxation reform, and tax policies will be the most important means to solve the problem.

"I think the problem will be tackled after a certain period of time," said the premier.

(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2002)