China's ecological programs lift over 20 mln out of poverty: official

More than 20 million people living under China's poverty line shook off poverty through ecological poverty-relief programs, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA).

The country has so far completed all tasks of its ecological poverty-relief programs while coordinating poverty alleviation with ecological protection, NFGA deputy director Li Chunliang told a press conference Tuesday.

The administration has carried out several such programs, including ecological compensation and government-sponsored afforestation projects, to help the country's impoverished population out of poverty, Li said.

As part of the ecological compensation mechanism, forestry authorities nationwide have recruited a total of about 1.1 million forest rangers from impoverished households since 2016. The project has assisted poverty-stricken groups by offering stable employment while contributing to ecological protection.

China aims to eliminate absolute poverty and achieve its goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the end of 2020.