China unveils support for insurance industry

BEIJING - The Chinese government on Wednesday unveiled measures to develop the insurance industry, vowing to raise premium incomes to 5 percent of GDP by 2020.

The package, announced on the State Council website, let the insurance industry play a bigger role in the fledgling social security network.

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The second of its kind since 2006, the package could see citizens paying an average of 3,500 yuan ($565) per capita in premiums by 2020.

Commercial insurance will become the primary undertaker of individual and household programs and an important supplier of corporate pensions and health insurance.

The insurance will be given a bigger role in the prevention and relief of disasters and accidents through the introduction of catastrophe insurance products.

Insurance funds will be encouraged to invest in bonds and equities to support major infrastructure projects, urban renewal and urbanization.

The government will encourage the house-for-pension insurance experiment and launch a pilot program to introduce compulsory insurance for environmental pollution, food safety, medical accidents and campus safety.

Zhao Xianghuai, an analyst with Guotai Junan Securities, believes the package will open more space for China's insurance industry, which had a total assets worth 9.4 trillion yuan by the end of June this year.

"The package has elevated the position of the insurance industry and created new room for development," Zhao said.

Boosted by the announcement, Chinese insurers rose across the board on the stock markets, with New China Life Insurance Co Ltd leading the gains, up 3.57 percent to 25.27 yuan.