The last nine poverty-stricken counties in southwest China's Guizhou Province have been officially removed from the poverty list, the provincial government announced on Monday.

They were also the last remaining poverty-stricken counties in China.

China has vowed to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020 – a major task in its drive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

At the end of 2019, 52 counties in the northwest, southwest and south of the country remained on the poverty list: nine in Yunnan Province, 10 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, seven in Sichuan Province, eight in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, eight in Gansu Province and nine in Guizhou Province. 

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Assessment by third-party agencies earlier this month showed that the poverty incidence in the nine counties in Guizhou decreased to zero percent and that the satisfaction rate among locals was over 99 percent, said Li Jian, director of the provincial poverty alleviation and development office, at a press briefing. 

The average annual net income of impoverished people in these nine counties has risen to 11,487 yuan (about $1,740), well above the 4,000-yuan (about $609) national poverty line set this year, Li said.

A program to relocate poor rural residents has contributed significantly to Guizhou's success in poverty reduction. About 1.88 million people living in poor mountainous areas have been relocated to urban areas, according to provincial authorities. Various supporting measures have been taken to ensure that at least one person on average in each relocated household gets employed. 

Meanwhile, the development of local specialty industries, such as vegetables, edible fungi and tea, has increased the income of rural residents. 

Taking a targeted poverty alleviation approach, China has lifted more than 10 million people out of poverty on average each year since 2013. Over 55 million people have shaken off poverty in the past five years nationwide.

In the next five years, efforts will be made to consolidate achievements in the fight against poverty and fully promote the strategy of rural vitalization, according to the Communist Party of China Central Committee's proposed major social and economic development targets for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2020 shows the Yucai resettlement site for relocated rural residents in Songtao Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. /Xinhua)