Despite China facing long-term challenges in providing people with high-quality medical care, particularly in rural areas, the top health authority has vowed to ease patients' economic burdens.

By 2015, individual out-of-pocket medical spending will be reduced to below 30 percent from the current 34.8 percent, said Vice-Minister of Health Zhang Mao at the launch of the country's first white paper on medical and health services.

The document was released by the Information Office of the State Council on Wednesday in Beijing.