A/HRC/11/25* Pillay to visit China at a time convenient to both sides. It was also considering inviting another United Nations Special Rapporteur to visit China in 2009. 15. Since the submission of its national report, China has adopted additional measures to protect human rights. In October 2008, a decision was made to deepen the rural reforms and development, such as eliminating extreme poverty in the countryside and doubling 2008 per capita income of rural residents by 2020, gradually realizing equal treatment between rural migrant workers and urban residents, and ensuring the exercise of farmers’ democratic rights. 16. At the end of 2008, China had taken 60 more judicial reform measures, such as strengthening the system of investigation and supervision of crimes of abuse of power by public officials, and reducing punishment for minor crimes and juvenile delinquencies. 17. To tackle the current global financial crisis, the Government unveiled an economic stimulus package containing 10 major measures. Under the package, 65 per cent of the projects aim directly to benefit the life of people, including improving the wellbeing of rural residents, strengthening medical and health-care services, education and culture and other social services and programmes, accelerating the post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction, and increasing people’s income. 18. China was the world’s largest developing country and was fully aware of the difficulties and challenges it faced in the field of human rights. China had a population of 1.3 billion, and 800 million were farmers. China needed to create 24 million jobs each year. China still ranked well below 100 in terms of per capita GDP in the world. The povertystricken and low-income population remained vast, and the imbalances in development between urban and rural areas and among regions still persisted. Medical and health-care services and the social security system still fell short of people’s needs. 19. The Government was conscientiously implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, an approach that placed people first, and sought to ensure comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, in an effort to build a harmonious society with democracy, the rule of law, equity and justice. The Government would continue to give top priority to people’s livelihood, human values, people’s rights and interests, and social equity and freedoms. 20. Currently, some 50 government departments were working on a National Human Rights Action Plan for 2009–2010, which would soon be made public. 21. The Chinese Government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macao in 1997 and 1999 respectively and established the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”. 22. In the HKSAR, human rights and freedoms were guaranteed by the Basic Law, as well as by, inter alia, the Bill of Rights Ordinance, the Race Discrimination Ordinance, and the Independent Police Complaints Council Ordinance. The rights of special groups were also protected through such mechanisms as the Women’s Commission, the Children’s Council project, the Children’s Rights Forum, and the Ethnic Minorities Forum. 23. In the MSAR, human rights and freedoms were guaranteed by the MSAR Basic Law. To promote and protect human rights and maintain the rule of law was a cornerstone of the Macau Government’s policy. The MSAR Government continued to improve social rights, particular consideration was given to the rights of vulnerable groups, such as the disabled, the elderly, the children, the women and the persons under custody. The MSAR Government remained committed to a government more accountable to the citizens, advocated the concept of social harmony and promoted human rights development. GE.09-16299 5