Charity woes to drive China's social welfare reform(3)

Master Juexing, abbot of Shangha's Yufo Temple and also a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body, said he would suggest the government encourages and supports religious circles to build charity hospitals during the CPPCC's annual session, which was opened on Sunday.

"This will help religious institutions to participate in charity activities so as to make them a supplement to the country's public welfare development," he said.

Analysts believe that accelerating legislation on philanthropy and transforming the development mode of the country's social welfare system by using the joint force of the government, non-government institutions, enterprises and the public will be a major concern during the annual parliament session in March.

Zhang Zhenyue, director of the office of social welfare and charity promotion of Anhui's provincial civil affairs bureau, said the government should have a clearer definition of its role and give more support to private charity institutions in terms of legislation and policy so as to mobilize them to contribute more.

"I hope this year's parliament session can promote the ushering-in of new policies," he said.