China beefs up efforts in rural poverty reduction
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-06 10:53
As the most populous developing country, China has most of its impoverished
population concentrated in the rural areas. Since 1978, the Chinese government
has moved away from a planned economy and pushed market reforms, as well as
liberalizing the rural economy, raising rural productivity and alleviating
widespread poverty through the household responsibility system.
Furthermore, in the mid-1980s the Chinese government started systematic, mass
poverty reduction and development efforts. As a result, the number of
impoverished people without adequate food and clothing declined from 250 million
in 1978 to 23.6 million at the end of 2005, with the share of the population
living in poverty falling from 30 percent to less than three percent. China has
achieved the first Millennium Development Goal of the United Nations well ahead
of the target date of 2015.
"In the pursuit of poverty alleviation and development, China has charted its
own path, suitable for its own conditions. This path involves government
leadership, social participation, self-reliance, an orientation toward economic
development, and an integrated development approach," said Liu Jian, director of
the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.
In addition to incorporating poverty alleviation and development into overall
economic and social strategies, the Chinese government has increased budgetary
allocations for poverty alleviation. Between 1986 and 2004, the total budget
support allocated reached 112.6 billion yuan (14 billion dollars), and
subsidized loans reached 162 billion yuan (20 billion dollars).
In 2005 the budgetary support for poverty alleviation totalled 13 billion
yuan. To ensure that budgetary poverty funds reach the designated impoverished
farmers, the use of funds is to be proclaimed, published, or reimbursed, adding
transparency and public supervision.
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