Xi: Country meets poverty reduction goal

Accomplishment hailed as remarkable victory that has greatly impressed world

China has achieved its goal of poverty reduction as planned and lifted nearly 100 million people out of poverty in the past eight years, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Thursday.

Xi made the remark at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He was briefed about the assessment of poverty alleviation work.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party has taken lots of innovative and creative measures to reduce poverty and has waged a war against poverty of the largest ever scale in mankind's history, Xi said.

Xi announced that with eight years of continuous efforts, all rural people, based on the current criteria in China, have been lifted out of poverty.

All remaining counties have been removed from the country's poverty list, and absolute poverty and overall regional poverty have been eliminated in the country, Xi said, adding that this is a remarkable victory that has greatly impressed the world.

Since the start of reform and opening-up in 1978, China has adjusted the standard for absolute poverty several times to keep it in line with the country's social and economic development.

The current rural poverty line is 2,300 yuan per person per year at the 2010 price level. The specific figure is subject to adjustment as the country's price levels change. In 2019, the poverty line was 3,218 yuan ($490), according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The great victory in poverty reduction has laid solid foundations for the fulfillment of the first centenary goal－to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the CPC celebrates its centenary in 2021－and has boosted the people's feeling of gain, happiness and safety, Xi said.

The livelihood of the people in poverty-stricken areas has been greatly improved, and the people have sufficient food and clothing, as well as access to compulsory education, basic medical services and safe housing, he added.

In poverty reduction work, the CPC has put the people first and made efforts to help poor people lead a happy life, he said.

Party committees and governments at all levels and society have coordinated with each other, the coastal and inland areas have helped each other, and officials have worked hard, which has demonstrated the CPC's mission, responsibility and spirit of sacrifice, he said.

Noting that the problem of unbalanced and insufficient development still exists in China, Xi said that it remains an arduous task to consolidate the achievements of poverty reduction.

He urged implementation of the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC and called for maintaining the stability of the current poverty alleviation policies, funds and forces.

Xi called for continuous efforts to help people avoid returning to poverty, with measures such as promoting poverty-reduction industries, improving infrastructure in rural areas, expanding markets for rural products and providing skills training.

He also urged enhanced management of poverty-reduction funds and assets, help for workers to get jobs near their home, and measures to ensure the people's basic livelihood.