More than 700 million people have escaped from poverty in China over the past 40 years, which is over 70 percent of global poverty elimination during that period. The nation's impoverished rural population has decreased from 98.99 million people at the end of 2012 to 5.51 million at the end of 2019 according to current standards –a reduction of poverty incidence from 10.2 percent to 0.6 percent –and the number of poverty-stricken counties in China has fallen from 832 at the end of 2016 to 52 as of May 2020 according to the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the country's main government body engaged in poverty reduction.
China's three key present poverty eradication goals consist of eliminating all instances of absolute poverty by the end of 2020, consolidating results, and ensuring that people who have gotten out of poverty do not fall back into it. Fifty-two counties in seven provinces and regions and 1,113 villages need to emerge from poverty in the next six months in order for the nation to stay on schedule with its poverty reduction work. They are mostly located in extremely impoverished regions in the western part of the country and represent some of the most difficult aspects of poverty alleviation.
China has been mobilizing all resources necessary to win the battle against poverty and ensure that poverty elimination objectives are met as part of the development ofa moderately and comprehensively prosperous society.
Seven of China's provinces and regions are taking various approaches to solving difficult problemson the nation’s remaining key poverty eradication battlefields based on their specific situations. Their plans are as follows:
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been making every effort to ensure that its 240,000 residents, 660 villages, and 8 counties that are currently impoverished can escape from poverty on schedule and has put special emphasis on its 138 extremely poverty-stricken villages and 7 counties that have impoverished populations of 5,000 people or more.
Sichuan Province has been focusing on helping all of its impoverished rural residents that live in dilapidated homes renovate their housing and that live in inhospitable regions relocate to resettlement communities by the end of June as part of its endeavors to improve livelihoods and assist its200,000 residents, 300 villages, and 7 counties that are presently impoverished out of poverty on schedule.
Guizhou Province has been supervising and inspecting poverty alleviation work inits nine counties that are currently deeply impoverishedand three counties that have more than 10,000 poverty-stricken residents. Approximately 400,000 impoverished citizens are receiving skills training, and 60,000 people are being placed in public welfare jobs.
Yunnan Province is emphasizing the need to synchronize poverty elimination and rural revitalization in line with Chinese President Xi Jinping's observation that "Being lifted out of poverty is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new life and a new pursuit" and has been intensifying efforts to help 442,000 people, 429 villages, and 9 counties emerge from poverty in the first half of 2020.
Gansu Province has been focusing onassisting its 175,000 poverty-stricken residents and eight impoverished counties out of poverty and has highlighted deeply impoverished regions in its borders. Further supervision and inspection of poverty reduction work is also occurring in villages and counties that have large numbers of impoverished residents, high poverty rates, or great difficulty breaking free from poverty. Local authorities have been building rural roads, power grids, and communication networks in order to improve infrastructure, which is a key part of improving people's livelihoods.
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has been helping all of its18,800 residents that arepresently impoverished get out of poverty and enhancing attempts to eliminate poverty by providing basic livelihood support to members of special groups, such as people who suffer from serious illnesses and impoverished citizens who are unable to work, and has been putting special emphasis on Xiji county. The autonomous region is also deepening poverty reduction cooperation with Fujian province, promoting targeted poverty alleviation by central government units, and executing the "100 enterprises helping100 villages" plan.
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been intensifying efforts to assist the 165,000 people, 560 villages, and 10 counties that remain impoverished in its borders out of poverty and is taking any measures necessary to ensure that it can keep pace with China's goal of helping its rural residents who are considered impoverished under current standards escape from poverty by the end of 2020.