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BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- China's ongoing efforts to reduce poverty and develop poor rural areas have paid off, officials said at a press conference in Beijing.
"By the end of 2013, we managed to cut the poverty population by 16.5 million. The figure for 2014 is 12.32 million. The goal of reducing the poverty population by 10 million was reached for two consecutive years,” said Hong Tianyun, deputy director of Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation & Development.
“In the first six months of this year, the growth rate of the average income for poor rural area residents is higher than that national average in rural areas. Although the development of poor areas is under the pressure of the economic slowdown, the goal of cutting one million more this year is still achievable."
October 17 is National Poverty Alleviation Day. The 2015 Global High Level Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development will be held in Beijing the day before. President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a keynote speech, elaborating on China's measures.
Participants will include top leaders from Chad, Croatia, Cambodia, Laos and Bolivia, as well as leading officials from the United Nations Development Program, World Health Organization, BRICS New Development Bank and Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
