What They Are Saying in 'Passage Interviews'

Fu Zhenghua, Minister of Justice

We will use the most stringent regulatory measures and hand out the strictest punishments to promote the continuous improvement of food and drug safety and ensure that what people consume is safe. China will continue to improve legislation and amend relevant laws to tackle the problems of overly lenient consequences for offenders. Laws related to food and drug safety should be strict, hard and tough, and serve to safeguard the people. We must resolutely investigate and deal with every report regarding food and drug safety problems received from members of the public, and closely link administrative law enforcement with criminal justice.

China also needs to make the laws more widely known, particularly among food and drug firms, to raise awareness among their legal persons and employees, so as to make sure they operate in accordance with related laws.

Zhang Jinan, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security

China faces continued employment pressure with its workforce of around 900 million. Also, employment prospects and job security are not only concerns for job seekers, but also for employers who may face imbalances in talent supply. This year, the employment-first policy remains a priority for the ministry, and it will work to ensure employment for key groups, including college graduates, migrant workers and retired military personnel as well as those living in poverty.

The ministry will also improve educational training, with 100 billion yuan ($14.9 billion) allocated from the surplus in unemployment insurance funds to offer training for a targeted group of 15 million people. There is a shortage of highly skilled labor in China, and one skilled worker usually has two job offers on average.

Chen Baosheng, Minister of Education

Too much homework is harmful to students, and adjusting academic workloads requires concerted efforts from schools, teachers, education authorities, parents and society at large.

Around 270,000 after-school institutions, or 98.9 percent of the more than 273,000 establishments that had been found to be problematic, have completed reforms.

In addition, 401,000 institutions have been assessed as part of a national campaign targeting unlicensed operators and extracurricular programs that put students under too much pressure.

Some after-school institutions have moved their classes online to avoid government inspections, so the ministry will hold online institutions to the same standards as brick-and-mortar ones, he added.

E Jingping, Minister of Water Resources

A recent joint forecast by the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration revealed that climatological conditions in the country will be unfavorable for flood control efforts this year. Precipitation will be unevenly distributed with a higher frequency of extreme weather events.

While the southern parts of the country will be wetter this summer, northern areas are expected to be more arid. With more precipitation along the Yangtze River, the waterway may suffer major floods. The ministry will make every effort to prepare for possible floods.

Preparations will be made far in advance. While flood forecasting and alerts will be strengthened, the ministry will also make full use of water conservancy projects and make them play a larger role in containing floodwaters and reducing damage.

(Source: China Daily)