China's Xi highlights 'big picture' in reform drive

The statement said that legal aid should play a bigger role in solving social conflicts, as well as judicial protection of people's rights, especially in criminal cases,

Public interest litigation should focus on cases that harm state and public interests in the fields of environment and resources, food and drug safety, state-owned assets and leasing the right to use state-owned land.

A plan to expand a pilot project with strengthened liability for judges and prosecutors and better supervision of personnel, money and property to more provincial-level regions was also approved.

SCI-TECH INNOVATION

At the meeting, members of the leading group stressed that a plan to deepen reform in the science and technology sectors will be most effective if it stimulates innovation and integration of scientific and technological innovation with economic and social development.

The reform, with both short-term and long-term measures, should focus on obvious problems that restrain sci-tech innovation, the statement said.

"By 2020, major breakthroughs should be made in key areas in sci-tech reform, and a mechanism should be set up in line with socialist market economic laws in order to drive innovation," according to the statement.

Societies affiliated with the China Association for Science and Technology were urged to provide public services in sci-tech fields, including by accrediting new technology, formulating technical standards and organizing national awards schemes for science and technology.