Li: Significant success has been made in the 'three tough battles'

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‍Tremendous success has been achieved in the "three tough battles," Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday. The country has been fighting the "three tough battles" of critical risks, poverty and pollution to meet up its goal, proposed seven years ago, of delivering a moderately prosperous society by 2020.

Premier Li made the remarks at the Great Hall of the People when delivering the annual government work report.

In terms of local government debt risk, special bonds have been largely promoted, but are under the "strict control" of statutory debt ceilings. Regulatory policies have also been rolled out for hidden debt-related risks.

On the poverty alleviation front, more than 106 billion yuan (15.8 billion U.S. dollars) has been allocated to "extreme poverty areas," with 13.86 million people from rural areas lifted out of poverty last year, according to a draft budget report to be submitted to the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) opening on Tuesday. Those funds are also under strict management.

In efforts to fight against pollution, around 255.5 billion yuan (38.1 billion U.S. dollars) was invested in 2018, an increase of 13.9 percent year-on-year, also based on the draft report. Clean energy has been widely promoted, and the restoration of river and lake ecosystems is ongoing.