A senior Chinese leader has urged the central government to improve social welfare for rural children, whose parents have left home to find work in the city.

The government should set up a special working mechanism focusing on care for children left behind in their villages, Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said on Monday.

The vice chairwoman said relevant laws and regulations should also be revised to enhance protection for the children.

It is estimated that China has more than 20 million children whose parents are migrant workers in rural areas.

Gu, also chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation, said the government should mobilize all social resources and called on the whole of society to care for the children.

The total number of migrant workers in Chinese cities is estimated to be around 200 million.

Source: Xinhua