China vows more help to major poverty-stricken regions

BEIJING - Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Friday pledged more efforts to support developments in major poverty-stricken regions.

At a teleconference of the State Council on poverty alleviation, Hui announced the launching of poverty-fighting plans for five major zones, including the mountainous areas in Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Hebei, Shanxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and others.

While acknowledging China's remarkable progress made in lifting its people out of poverty over the past decade, Hui noted the country still faces an uphill battle to improve conditions in under-developed regions.

He said China will intensify support to those regions through the initiation of major growth and infrastructure projects, and coordinate efforts to promote job creations and emigrant relocations.

Hui also stressed the importance of making the people in the poverty-hit regions constructively engaged in the growth process, as well as the protection of eco-environment in the regions.

Based on the current poverty line of 2,300 yuan (about $366) in annual net income per capita, China has 128 million impoverished people living in rural areas, or 13.4 percent of the rural population.