China's Political Season: Rural NPC deputies discuss poverty alleviation

World
Europe

Many representatives from remote villages and towns across China came to Beijing to take part in the annual Two Sessions. Drawing from their experiences, they shared their thoughts and suggestions on ensuring a better future for rural China. Zheng Yibing has the story.

Targeted poverty reduction will be one of China's biggest battles for the next three years.

In many of the country's remote villages and towns, people still face the difficulties they've had for many years, and discussion on that continues.

XIANG CHANGJIANG GRASSROOTS NPC DEPUTY "We live in high and cold mountainous areas with limited arable land and irrigation facilities."

LI JUN GRASSROOTS NPC DEPUTY "A practical problem in the countryside is that too many young people are leaving for urban areas to seek their fortune."

But changes have been made because of the country's commitment to eradicating extreme poverty by 2020.

Over the past five years, people's incomes in places where these NPC deputies came from have risen above the national poverty line.

To boost anti-poverty efforts in the countryside, these deputies proposed similar solutions.

XIANG CHANGJIANG GRASSROOTS NPC DEPUTY "We'll raise more funds to build infrastructure, especially roads linking us to other places."

LI JUN GRASSROOTS NPC DEPUTY "We welcome donations, but we hope we could develop our agricultural products and sell them in the market to motivate our villagers to get rich."

These deputies hope the government could do more for rural areas, particularly in terms of upgrading medical facilities and helping patients with their expenses.

CAO QINGHUA GRASSROOTS NPC DEPUTY "I am happy that our medicaid will increase by 40 yuan per month under this year's government report."

LI JUN GRASSROOTS NPC DEPUTY "As an NPC deputy, I raised my suggestion here to improve medicaid standards in rural areas. We should not let those who have got out of poverty fall back into it."

The deputies agreed that they need to make the best use of all resources they have to get rid of extreme poverty.

ZHENG YIBING BEIJING "Rural areas are at the forefront of the fight against poverty, with their efforts focusing on optimizing resources. They hope to share their experiences to help alleviate poverty by 2020 and beyond. ZHENG YIBING, CGTN, BEIJING."