Xinjiang's anti-poverty steps achieving fruitful results

Promoting tailor-made industries, stabilizing employment, relocation of poverty-stricken villagers and employment transfers are among measures taken by Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in a decisive battle to eradicate absolute poverty in 2020.

"In the past three years, 117,000 people in Aksu prefecture have received pre-job training and employed by some local companies, and we believe more jobless people will find job by undergoing such training," said Ablimit Tursun, an officer at Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Aksu prefecture in southern Xinjiang.

In Asa, a small village in Aksu prefecture, over a hundred industrial workers who used to be unemployed are working in a fungus factory.

"I was not able to find any stable job, and due to meager income I could not meet my basic living needs. Now, thanks to our local government, I can work here and earn a decent salary," said Patam Rustam, a villager in Asa.

Azgul Musa, a villager in Wensu county of Aksu, took a pre-job training and found a job in a local textile company as a worker, and she said she was making more than 3,000 yuan ($434) a month after she began working there.

Over 5,500 people in five poverty-stricken counties of Hotan prefecture are working in an industrial park that has characteristic planting and breeding industry and processing industry of agricultural and sideline products.

"We are breeding rabbits, pigeons and ducks in the park, and as a worker here, I'm not only able to make more money than before, but also learn some breeding and management skills which will help me to have my own farm if I leave," said Arzgul Hamut, a villager in Lop county of Hotan prefecture.

Some high-level officers in the region are designated to 10 poverty-stricken counties in southern Xinjiang in order to fully understand the situation and adjust poverty alleviation measures to local conditions.

"With the help from the poverty alleviation team from outside (most of the team are from Urumqi, the capital of the region), we are able to find a good way to get rid of poverty. I found a stable job in a local greenhouse with decent income," said Hanat Salikhan, a villager from Fuyun county in Altay prefecture.

By the end of 2019, there were still 10 poverty-stricken counties and 559 poverty-stricken villages in xinjiang, accounting for about one-fifth of the country's 52 counties and 2,707 villages.