Xi Jinping stresses efforts to win battle against poverty

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has underscored continuous efforts to win the battle against poverty.

Latest data reveal how far away China is from the 2020 poverty elimination goal

China should stick to its poverty relief target and make continuous efforts for a victory in the battle. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed this when giving the instructions on Thursday as the country observes the sixth National Poverty Relief Day, which falls on October 17 every year.

Xi said China has achieved remarkable progress in its fight against poverty during the past seven decades, adding that China is going to eradicate absolute poverty, which will make tremendous contribution to the global poverty relief cause.

China has vowed to eradicate absolute poverty in rural areas by 2020. More than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty over the past 40 years. And in the past six years, China lifted 82.39 million rural poor out of poverty, with the rural poor population down from 98.99 million in 2012 to 16.6 million in 2018.

By the end of this year, around 95 percent of China's poor population will shake off poverty, and over 90 percent of poor counties will be removed from the poverty list.

A villager works in his vineyard in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, October 13, 2019. /VCG Photo

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also gave instructions on the country's poverty alleviation program, calling for efforts to lift another 10 million poor people out of poverty this year and lay a solid foundation for winning the battle against poverty next year.

Efforts should be made to provide basic public services to poor people nationwide so that they will no longer need to worry about food and clothing while enjoying access to compulsory education, basic medical care and safe housing, Li said, adding that poverty relief efforts should be concentrated on assisting areas of extreme poverty.

A conference to commend people who have made outstanding contributions to poverty alleviation was held in Beijing on Thursday morning. Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, who is also chief of the State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development, attended the conference and read the instructions of Xi and Li.

(With input from Xinhua)