The Chinese government has extended its cost of living benefits
to all beggars and homeless people, Deputy Minister of Civil
Affairs Li Liguo said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Li listed three main causes of begging in China: "Some become
beggars because of poverty, but a few choose begging as their
profession and some are coerced into becoming beggars."
"Those begging because of poverty will receive a basic living
allowance," he said.
Under the system, the average basic living cost in urban areas
is 169.6 yuan (US$22.3) per person each month and that in rural
areas is 71.4 yuan (US$9.39).
The subsidy equals the basic living cost minus an individual's
average income. On average, the government pays 92 yuan to urban
recipients and 28 yuan to rural beneficiaries per month.
"The government opposes professional begging and will educate
and guide these people to earn a living through other work," he
said.
"Those who coerce minors or the disabled to beg will be punished
according to the law, and those coerced will be helped by the
government," he said.
Last year, China's Social Aid Centers helped 1.2 million
homeless, including beggars, said Li.
The centers provide the homeless with food, accommodation and
transport expenses to return home. Normally the homeless remain at
centers for 10 days. The disabled and minors are reported to their
local civil affairs authorities and taken home if relatives failed
to collect them, according to regulations on aiding the
homeless.
The regulation on aiding the homeless was implemented in 2003.
It was intended to change policies from forcibly returning the
urban homeless to their home provinces to focus on aiding them.
In 2003, Sun Zhigang, a Wuhan Science College graduate, was
imprisoned as a vagrant by the police in Guangzhou for not having
identification. Three days later, he was beaten to death by
wardens.
The crime appalled the nation and the laws on the homeless were
amended.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2007)