Social Security in China

Author: Tian Xiaobao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: In the long history of the development of Chinese civilization, the concepts of mutual assistance and helping the poor and weak have a long-standing tradition. As early as 2,500 years ago, the great Chinese thinker Confucius founded Confucianism, within which his theory of an ideal society—Daxia Lun—contains a classic passage describing a harmonious society: "When the great way is practiced, all under heaven is shared by all." In such a society, "the old are cared for until death, the strong are given work to do, the young are nurtured, and the widowed, orphaned, disabled, and sick are all provided for." This is called the Great Unity. China truly began to establish a social security system in the 1950s. Less than a year after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the "Provisions of the People's Republic of China on Labor Insurance" were issued on February 26, 1951, which clearly stipulated the methods for providing material assistance to employees of various enterprises in cases of illness, disability, death, childbirth, and after retirement due to old age. At the same time, unified regulations were gradually established for the medical care, pensions, maternity benefits, and death allowances of employees in state organs and public institutions (social service organizations established by state organs for the purpose of social public welfare, or by other organizations using state-owned assets).