The Chinese government is planning to spend more on clean drinking water in rural areas, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on September 25, 2007.

      "With increasing government revenue in the past few years, the government should invest more in solving this problem," Wen said when meeting experts from counselors' Office of the State Council (COSC) and Central Research Institute of Culture and History.

      Wang Bingchen, one of the experts from the COSC, raised the issue of water pollution in rural areas and suggested raising subsidies for water cleaning projects.

      Wen admitted the investment was still too little although the government planned to invest 40.3 billion yuan (5.36 billion U.S. dollars) by 2010 to provide clean drinking water for 160 million rural residents.