BEIJING: China aims to lift everyone living below the current poverty line out of poverty this year, achieving the goals set in the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.
Lifting all rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty by 2020 is a solemn promise made by the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), and it must be fulfilled on time, said Chinese President Xi Jinping at a symposium on securing a decisive victory in poverty alleviation.
The number of impoverished people in China fell to 5.5 million at the end of 2019 from nearly 100 million at the end of 2012, Xi pointed out at the symposium.
The incidence of poverty dropped to 0.6 percent from 10.2 percent during this period, with over 10 million people being lifted out of poverty annually for seven consecutive years.
By the end of February, 601 poor counties out of the total 832 had shaken off poverty, with regional overall poverty being basically eradicated.
China has constantly strived to eliminate poverty from a comprehensive perspective, making efforts to ensure that rural poor people are free from worries over food and clothing and have access to compulsory education, basic medical services and safe housing.
– The Daily Mail-People’s Daily News exchange item
