Poverty alleviation top of agenda at two sessions

BEIJING, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily:

This year is crucial for China's anti-poverty campaign as the country aims to eradicate absolute poverty. How will the nation pool its wisdom on achieving this goal? Let's have a look.

Villagers of Atuleer in Sichuan province's Zhaojue county were excited on May 12 because they were moving to new apartments. Their village is atop a 1,400-meter cliff. The only link to the outside world was an 800-meter network of rattan ladders with no railings.

The villagers are among the 9.6 million people who have been relocated to resettlement areas as part of China's anti-poverty campaign.

Besides relocation, the country has also issued favorable policies to support poverty alleviation work. Special programs were launched to create more jobs for the poor and improve education and healthcare in poverty-stricken areas.

China has set 2020 as the year to eliminate absolute poverty and that goal is nearing success.

The number of those living in poverty declined from 98.99 million in 2012 to 5.51 million by the end of last year. The poverty rate has dropped from 10.2% to 0.6%. The annual per capita net income of registered impoverished people has increased to 9,808 yuan in 2019 from 3,416 in 2015.

On March 6, President Xi Jinping chaired a symposium on poverty alleviation, the largest of its kind in years. Xi has said lifting all rural residents out of poverty by 2020 is a solemn promise made by the CPC Central Committee.

Xi has also said epidemics or disasters can affect poverty reduction work and China must take effective measures to minimize the impact of the epidemic.

Poverty alleviation is top of the agenda during the ongoing two sessions. Legislators and political advisors will pool their wisdom on how to finally eradicate absolute poverty and keep those lifted out of poverty from falling back in.

SOURCE China Daily