A pledge has been made by the Chinese government to cut the
number of people in absolute poverty in rural areas by three
million this year, said a senior poverty relief official in Beijing
on Thursday.
The number of poor people earning less then US$85 a year, the
country's poverty line, has fallen by more than 100 million to
23.65 million since the government launched its campaign against
rural poverty in 1986.
The government would increase investment and help in the
creation of more rural businesses and jobs, said Liu Jian, director
of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and Development.
The work plan for 2007 also included professional training for
one million poor farmers and lifting at least 20,000 villages out
of poverty.
The government would improve management of the poverty
alleviation fund and crack down on any misappropriation to ensure
it was properly used, Liu said.
The government channeled 13.4 billion yuan (US$1.7 billion) into
poverty alleviation last year and that amount is to be
increased.
(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2007)