Central and local governments in China spent 4.65 billion yuan (581.3 million U.S. dollars) to ensure nearly 50 million rural students received nine years of compulsory free education in western China.

Ma Kai, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said here Friday that 48.8 million rural students in western China had benefited from the financial support.

Briefing the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, or the national legislature, on the implementation of this year's plan for national economic and social development, he said the central government had allocated 2.84 billion yuan (355 million U. S. dollars) so far this year to renovate rural middle and elementary school houses in central and western China.

Local governments had also been ordered to invest their share, he said.

The government had also been building more rural boarding schools and distance learning projects for rural middle and elementary schools.

About 7.5 million students would be enrolled by secondary vocational schools this year, up by 1 million from last year.

Educational Minister Zhou Ji said in early March that the central and local governments would spend 218.2 billion yuan (27.3billion dollars) on the nine-year compulsory education program in rural areas till 2010.