In the latest inspection tour to North China's Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality, Li said there were problems that need to be immediately addressed regarding private-education institutions, but he did not elaborate on what they were.

He did say privately funded education is an integral part of China's education system. These institutions nurture human talent, he said.

"Promoting the healthy growth of privately funded education contributes to the overall development of national education," said Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Investors should be allowed to see legitimate economic returns in this sector which will help encourage more private involvement in education.

But Li also warned that profit-seeking should not become the sole target of such businesses.

During the tour, Li also noted that more needs to be done to promote public welfare in the fundamental interests of the people.

He highlighted the development of tourism, catering and community service to expand job access for citizens. He also said the social security network needs to be further expanded.

Li was heading a delegation of legislators to solicit grassroots response to a drafted law on promoting privately funded education institutions, which has become a topic of controversy in the nation.

The draft bill has been reviewed three times by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, but opinion is still split on some issues regarding the law.

To learn more about public views on the law, Li visited several middle schools and universities, some of which are privately funded, and heard from students and faculty members on the matter.

During the tour, Li also visited communities in Tianjin Municipality to check on growth in urban building renovation, water network upgrades, transportation grid improvements and service industry changes.

He urged governmental authorities of Tianjin to take more action in caring for laid-off, unemployed and destitute residents and to expand social security.

"We need to create more job opportunities, develop the service industry, and promote tourism, catering and community services that can provide more jobs for the residents," Li said.

The country has been making efforts nationwide to create more jobs for urban and rural surplus labor, a burdensome task that is likely to linger during the coming years.

(China Daily December 2, 2002)