BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's social relief framework has been basically formed, with about 50 million needy people receiving relief on a regular basis, said Li Liguo, vice minister of civil affairs, on Tuesday.

    When talking with netizens online at China's central government website, Li said the regular relief includes offering basic living allowances and medical treatment.

    "The government also provides emergency relief in disaster-hit areas, offers help to low-income people, vagrants and street children, and encourages the development of charity organizations," Li said.

    Statistics from the ministry show that 22 million Chinese urban people live on the government's minimum living allowance. In ruralareas, about 12 million farmers receive subsidies on a regular basis.

    The ministry also cooperated with other ministries in some special relief programs to provide the needy with education, medicine, housing, winter heating and other services, Li said.

    At the end of 2005, the central government prearranged 5.53 billion yuan (691 million U.S. dollars) out of its 2006 allowance funds to help both vulnerable urban and rural social groups enjoy the festival season,including the upcoming Chinese lunar New Year,which falls on Jan. 29.

    Li said his ministry also allocated 1.2 billion yuan (150 million U.S. dollars) in relief fund to provide food, clothes and heating equipment for disaster-hit people to tide out winter.

    In many places across the country, the allowance has been increased for the needy to spend the New Year and Spring Festival holidays, and a series of fund-raising activities have been held for them, Li said.

    In China, about 60 million people suffer from natural calamities each year and about 140 million senior citizens aged above 60 are in need of social assistance, according to the ministry.

    More than 26 million farmers are still living in abject poverty. Without enough food and clothes, they just earn less than668 yuan (81 U.S. dollars), the benchmark of China's absolute poverty line, per capita every year.

    There is still another 49.77 million rural people with an annual per-capita income of less than 924 yuan (112 U.S. dollars),China's poverty line, and this is over three times less than that of urban residents. Enditem