20% hospital beds to be privately funded by 2015

China's health minister said on Monday the government will encourage more private capital investment in hospitals across the country.

Chen Zhu, minister of health, told media attending the National People's Congress (NPC), that the country will invite more capital from the private sector to invest in running hospitals.

The country's latest guideline for development from 2010-2015, the 12th Five Year Plan, said 20 percent of hospital beds will be funded by private capital by the end of 2015.

Chen said the government has invested about 1 trillion yuan in the last three years in medical care, 23 percent higher than the expected 850 billion yuan，and government investment will continue to rise to meet the target set in the 12th Five Year Plan (2011-2015).