China's state council announced on August 1st, 2014 that from the year of 2014, October 17th was set as National Poverty Alleviation Day, aiming to rally efforts to combat poverty. This reflects the fact that the central party committee and the state council have attached a huge importance to poverty alleviation and development and care about people in impoverished areas. In addition, it is an important step in the fight against poverty as well as a significant policy to call on society to engage in the cause of poverty alleviation and development.
China has been dedicated to poverty alleviation ever since its reform and opening up, especially after the mid 1980’s. Notably, China’s poverty alleviation and development efforts benefit China’s economic growth, political stability and social development; and China has become a major contributor of the cause of poverty alleviation and development in the whole world.
China has developed its own successful path in poverty alleviation and development, with the government playing the leading role. However, as the economy develops and people’s living standards increases, many private sectors and citizens exert keen interests in poverty alleviation. Therefore, National Poverty Alleviation Day can serve as a major platform for different sectors of society to engage in poverty reduction and exchange experience and ideas.
During the national poverty alleviation day, various events and forums concerned with poverty alleviation are designed and hosted in order to exchange experience and raise funds. Major arrangements of this day include the establishment of a meeting for specialists in poverty alleviation and development to discuss new ideas and methods to deepen China’s poverty relief efforts, the arrangement of all sorts of activities in different social sectors to increase people’s awareness and knowledge about poverty alleviation and development in China, and awarding the groups or individuals who have made great contributions in poverty reduction and social development.