CRI听力:Vice Premier Li Keqiang Calls for Active Participation from All Sides in the Sixth Population

China will kick start its sixth national population census on November 1st. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang has stressed the importance of the event in the world's most populous country and called for active participation and cooperation from all sides.
 
CRI's Zheng Chenguang takes a closer look.

China has conducted 5 population censuses, once in every ten years, since 1953.
 
During the last decade, the country's demography has undergone drastic changes.

It has witnessed a growing population, changes in age demographics and a greater flow of people, especially migrant workers, across provincial borders.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang says the forthcoming census will be crucial in defining China's future economic growth and social development.

"We have a large population. The census, carried out once very ten years under Chinese law, will help to gauge the country's general situation and overall strength. It will serve as the basis in devising China's economic and social policies in a scientific manner."

Many government policies are based on the results of the census, for example, the number of doctors and nurses needed for urban communities, and how many homes for the elderly should be built within a city district.

Li Keqiang says an accurate census will benefit China in fine-tuning its growth model and improving people's livelihood.

"China is a large developing country with a population over one billion. An accurate assessment of China's population and its future path will facilitate the making and implementation of our economic and social policies. It will help to push for scientific development and accelerate the transformation of economic growth model. It will help us to improve and equalize public services such as compulsory education, basic medical care and housing and safeguard and better people's livelihood. It is also helpful in social management and the building of a harmonious society."

The sixth census will also take into account foreign residents for the first time, but excluding foreigners on short-term business or sight-seeing trips in China.
 
Officials say there will be a simpler version of questionnaires for foreigners. Accompanied by interpreters, census takers are expected to collect data on name, age, gender, nationality, education level, purpose and duration of stay from foreign nationals in China.

Li Keqiang has underscored the importance of active participation from all walks of life.

"The census brings responsibility to all of us. The entire society should actively participate in the census and support its work. I hope that with concerted efforts, we can ensure the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the results. I believe that with joint efforts from all sides, the sixth national population census will be a great success."

China issued a regulation in June, stipulating that the information of the surveyed should be kept confidential and anyone who leaks the information will be punished according to law.

China's last census put its population at 1.3 billion.

For CRI, I'm Zheng Chenguang.