英闻天下——37 China Proposes New Pension Insurance System

 　　China's current pension insurance system includes basic pension insurance for urban workers, rural social insurance and urban social insurance.

 

　　Under the new plan, those covered by two or three of these types of insurance can switch from one or the other.

 

　　Professor Zheng Fengtian with the College of Agriculture and Rural Development at Renmin University says the new policy is part of the broader reform of the social insurance system.

 

　　"There should be a unified¹ standard for everyone, no matter who he is. However, the insurance gap between different classes is evident. Yet, to set a unified standard for every different social group costs a lot. So the new scheme is on the right path by starting with people in rural areas, as it paves way for the broader reform of the whole society."

 

　　Under the new proposal, people who have paid into social insurance for 15 consecutive² years can apply for the basic pension insurance for urban workers, which generates higher returns.

 

　　Those who haven't reached the 15-year payment period can apply for the new urban or rural social security plans so they can have basic coverage³.

 

　　As an example, if a migrant worker from the rural areas has been paying for the new rural social security scheme, he or she can apply to have their payment moved to the better-paying account for urban workers if he or she has moved to urban areas to work.

 

　　However, professor Zheng Fengtian notes the 15-year payment requirement is one of the main reasons most migrant workers can't qualify for the most lucrative⁴ program.

 

　　"Rural migrant workers who are currently working may eventually benefit from the policy. But those who are in their 50's or 60's probably won't. At the same time, the current policy doesn't cover people from rural areas who are living without a job in the city. These are the problems yet to be solved in the new policy. "

 

　　Meanwhile, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is reporting China's pension deficit⁵ has reached some 77-billion yuan through 2011.

 

　　Its latest report shows over one-third of China's 31 provinces and autonomous⁶ regions are facing pension fund deficits⁷.

 

　　The government's top think tank is warning of an unsustainable financial situation under the current pension system.

 

　　Li Yang is the Vice⁸ president of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

 

　　"Our basic pension insurance system seems to have saved a large surplus in recent years. And they have guaranteed the current needs. However, most of the surplus comes from financial subsidies⁹ by the central and local governments."

 

　　The report by CASS also notes China's economic growth structure is undergoing a planned slow-down, which is also going to reduce revenues to the pension system.

 

　　Dai Xianglong, chair of the National Social Security Fund, is suggesting part of the gaps in the pension fund can be covered by this country's state-owned enterprises.

 

　　"I think we should set up a system to transfer one fifth of SOE profits to social security funds."

 

　　China's pension fund only accounts for 2 percent of the total GDP.

 

　　The ratio is 83 percent in Norway, 25 percent in Japan and 15 percent in the US.

 

　　An aging population here in China is quickly becoming a major concern.

 

　　There were 190 million people at or above the age of 60 as of the end of 2011.

 

　　It is estimated this figure will top 200 million by 2013.

 

　　By 2050, one-third of the Chinese population will be 60 or older.

 

　　As many as 125 million elderly people here in China currently receive pensions every month.

 

　　As such, Chinese Premier¹⁰ Wen Jiabao has promised to increase government spending on the social insurance system to address the aging problem.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Qizhi.

1 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

2 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

5 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

6 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

7 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。