[Poverty Alleviation Through a Lens] Five targeted measures in Tonghua

Targeted Poverty Alleviation Base in Tonghua. [Photo by Xu Yue]

Since the war against poverty was launched, Tonghua—a city located in northeast China’s Jilin Province—has been taking precise measures to bolster its poverty alleviation publicity and supervision, trying to get all people involved. In 2016, 430 million yuan (US$ 62.5 million) has been invested in 464 projects carried out by 73 poverty-stricken villages, bringing substantial benefit to the city. Tonghua, by tailoring its measures to its own inherent conditions, played to its strengths and used existing resources to make full use of the local powerful enterprises, carry out projects, and make joint efforts to attract new ones. As a result, 11,284 people were lifted out of poverty, accounting for 40% of the city’s poverty-stricken population. Meanwhile, 35 villages have escaped poverty successfully, making up 48% of the city’s total. Together, these efforts—and the fruits they have yielded—have laid a solid foundation for winning the battle against poverty.