Policy Digest

Coal reserve system to be established by 2027

China has pledged to set up a coal reserve system by 2027, aiming to secure energy security through more flexible coal supplies, according to plans jointly released on Friday by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration.

By 2030, the country will strive to attain a yearly coal reserve of 300 million metric tons that can be dispatched by the authorities under emergency conditions and improve the capacity and flexibility of coal supplies, according to the document.

The establishment of the system will facilitate the rapid release of coal in extreme situations, such as severe fluctuations in the international energy market, adverse weather conditions and dramatic changes in supply and demand, according to an official with the NEA.

By serving as an emergency reserve, the system will also better leverage the role of coal in power generation, promote the high-quality development of new energy, and facilitate the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy industry, the official added.

Coal has long been China’s mainstay fuel. China mined a record 4.66 billion tons of coal last year, up 2.9 percent from the previous year.

The reserve system will remain inactive under normal conditions, the official said.

Zones to boost flow of urban, rural products

Demonstration zones for the coordinated development of rural e-commerce and express delivery services have been established in 117 cities and counties across the country, the Ministry of Transport said in a notice on Thursday.

The zones are part of China’s efforts to further facilitate the circulation of agricultural products from villages to cities and consumer goods from urban to rural areas.

The list of the zones has been jointly released by the State Post Bureau, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce.

In Jiashan county of Jiaxing city, Zhejiang province, which is on the list, a three-tier logistics system has been set up to help link production and consumption between urban and rural areas.

The system consists of a county-level agricultural product distribution center, a townshiplevel express logistics public transit center, 20 village-level comprehensive service stations for goods and mail, and numerous end-point express stations in rural residential areas.

Medical reimbursement to be more convenient

New measures will be adopted this year to make it easier for insured people to be reimbursed for their medical bills, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration.

People will also be able to pay their bills at hospitals and pharmacies not only with their medical insurance cards but also via QR codes or through facial recognition, said Fu Chaoqi, an official with the administration, at a news conference on Thursday.

Insured persons will be able to submit reimbursement applications and check their claim status more easily online, Fu said, adding that direct medical reimbursement settlement for bills incurred in different cities will be expanded to cover more chronic diseases to spare patients the burden of paying bills upfront and receiving reimbursements later.

In addition, authorities will streamline the procedures required for parents to get infants covered by national medical insurance schemes and for mothers to get medical bills associated with pregnancy and childbirth reimbursed, he said.

A reduction in the time required for the insured to receive reimbursements is also expected, Fu said.