Leadership steps up fight on poverty

Political Bureau sets requirements for achieving the goal of elimination

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau on Friday that focused on poverty reduction work.

During the meeting, the members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee were briefed about the performance evaluation of the provincial governments' poverty reduction work, and they made requirements for achieving the goal of eliminating poverty.

China has made decisive progress in poverty reduction under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core since the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012, said a statement released after the meeting.

China has made the biggest achievement in the history of poverty reduction, with the establishment of a poverty reduction system with Chinese characteristics, the progress of targeted measures of poverty alleviation, and participation from all walks of life, the statement said.

The CPC Central Committee's plans and decisions on poverty reduction were completely implemented last year, and local governments have taken more responsibilities, it said.

The targeted measures for poverty alleviation have proved effective, the western and eastern regions have speeded up coordination on poverty reduction, and the work style has improved greatly, the statement said.

The CPC's original aspiration, as well as its mission, is to pursue happiness for the Chinese people and strive for national rejuvenation, so poverty reduction has reflected the Party's original aspiration and mission to reduce poverty and help the poor to meet their aspiration for a better life, said the statement.

It also said that it is a great task for the CPC to resolve absolute poverty－a problem never before addressed in the country's history－in the next years.

The task of poverty reduction remains arduous, with numerous challenges such as lack of public services in some areas, inefficient implementation of poverty reduction measures and misuse of poverty alleviation funds, said the statement.

It pointed out that strict rules on performance evaluation must be carried out. Those who have shown good performance on poverty reduction should be complimented, those who have not should improve their work, and those who violate rules and regulations must be punished, it said.