In order to achieve the goal of doubling the average income among urban and rural residents compared with the 2010 baseline, which is proposed in a report at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the establishment of social security and assistance system is an indispensable part of the building of the moderately prosperous society in all respects. During the past decade, the system of minimum subsistence allowances for both urban and rural residents has become the backbone of the social assistance system, which is supplemented with medical assistance system in urban and rural areas, allowance system for rural recipients who are entitled to five forms of support, and the subsistence allowance mechanism for responding to major natural disasters and emergencies. All those systems and mechanisms have realized the full coverage nationwide. By 2011, 75.54 million people have been covered by the minimum subsistence allowance system. In the future, it is necessary to push forward legislation relating to the Social Assistance System and set the agenda for "expenditure related poverty", which should be the top priority for the government. <<