China poverty alleviation, raising standard of living

[ahojunk]

China's poverty reduction at a crucial stage: white paper
2016-10-17 11:08 | Xinhua | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Graphics shows the poverty levels in China's rural areas according to the current
rural poverty standard, Oct. 17, 2016. (Graphics: Xinhua/Zhou Daqing)​

China has entered the crucial stage of poverty reduction as the fight against poverty remains tough despite remarkable achievements in the past, according to a white paper issued Monday.

China still has a large population living in profound poverty and the solutions to their problems are becoming increasingly costly and complex, said the white paper titled "China's Progress in Poverty Reduction and Human Rights".

"This will prove a hard nut to crack," the white paper said, referring to the country's poverty reduction task in future.

By the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people living in poverty, equivalent to the entire population of a medium-sized country.

Most of them live in extreme poverty and have weak capacity for development, while the time pressure is huge for China to accomplish its target of lifting all the poor out of poverty by 2020, the white paper said.

Moreover, a large number of those who just escaped poverty can be pushed back into it as a result of natural disasters, illness, or issues involving education, marriage and housing, according to the white paper.

To eradicate poverty by 2020, China has pledged to lift 10 million people out of poverty every year from 2016 through developing specialty industries, transfer employment, relocation and social security coverage.

Over the past more than 30 years since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty.

According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2015, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in China fell from 61 percent in 1990 to 4.2 percent in 2014, with the number of citizens China has raised from poverty accounting for 70 percent of the world's total.


********

It's always the case, the last bit will take the most effort.

 

[ahojunk]

China to increase funding for poverty
2016-10-17 10:41 | Xinhua | Editor: Mo Hong'e

The Chinese government will allocate more funds to keep pace with the needs of poverty relief in the coming five years, according to a white paper issued Monday.

The central government will continue to increase transfer payments to impoverished areas and ensure substantial growth in its funding for poverty alleviation, said the white paper titled "China's Progress in Poverty Reduction and Human Rights".

Investments within the central budget will be tilted in support of the poor, the white paper said.

To fight poverty, the government assigned special poverty relief funds amounting to 189.84 billion yuan (about 28.17 billion U.S. dollars) from 2011 to 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 14.5 percent.

By the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people living in poverty. It plans to lift all of its poor out of poverty by 2020.

Over the past 30 years since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted from poverty.

According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2015, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in China fell from 61 percent in 1990 to 4.2 percent in 2014, with the number of people China has raised from poverty accounting for 70 percent of the world's total.

Editor: Mengjie


********

Good job, China.
All countries should do their utmost to help their poor.
It's ironic, you need money to fix the lack of money.

 

[ahojunk]

Poverty reduction highlights China's progress in human rights: white paper
2016-10-17 10:44 | Xinhua | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Children of Se ethnic group sit in front of a monument that reads "China's No. 1 Poverty Relief Village" at Chixi Village, Panxi town, Fuding city in Fujian province, Feb 14. The village has shaken off poverty thanks to assistance
from Party and government officials at all levels over the past 30 years. (Photo/Xinhua)​

Poverty reduction is the most telling evidence of China's progress in human rights, as the number of citizens China has raised from poverty accounts for 70 percent of the world's total, said a white paper issued on Monday.

Over the past 30 years and more since the launch of reform and opening up, more than 700 million Chinese people have been raised from poverty. The number of rural poor had fallen to 55.75 million by 2015, with the incidence of poverty dropping to 5.7 percent, said the white paper published by the State Council Information Office under the title "China's Progress in Poverty Reduction and Human Rights."

The UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 shows that the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in China fell by half from 61 percent in 1990 to below 30 percent in 2002, and on down to 4.2 percent in 2014, said the white paper.

Notable improvement has been made to infrastructure and basic public services, and poverty-reduction mechanisms have been innovated, thus contributing to the guarantee of the basic rights of the impoverished population. This has laid a solid foundation for achieving a moderately prosperous society in all respects, according to the white paper.


********

For those governments that neglect their poor citizens, I strongly condemn them.
This is something I hold close to my heart.
We should help all our poor and disadvantage folks, period.

 

[dy1022]

China rocks !!!

 

[ahojunk]

Agreements signed to help poor ahead of Poverty Relief Day
2016-10-17 08:57 | China Daily | Editor: Xu Shanshan

A farmer harvests chrysanthemum flowers in Xiuning, Anhui province, on Friday. Many farmers have increased their incomes by growing the flowers, which are used in herbal medicine. (Photo/China Daily)


Twelve wealthy villages in China signed agreements with 12 poverty-stricken counterparts on Sunday, to guide the latter in developing their economy and creating a better life for local people.

The agreements were signed after a commendation meeting and a series of forums on poverty relief were held in Beijing on Sunday, the day before China's third Poverty Relief Day, which falls on Monday.

Under the agreements, the wealthy villages will share their experiences of how they successfully achieved their wealth and help their impoverished counterparts to boost development of local industries and nurture talent.

In a congratulatory statement sent to the meeting, which honored organizations and individuals for their outstanding contribution to poverty alleviation, President Xi Jinping urged local authorities to leave no stone unturned in the implementation of precision poverty relief measures to lift the nation's poor.

The agreements between wealthy and poverty-stricken villages are designed to advance the efforts of precision poverty relief, said Xu Jianmin, an official from the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

"We believe that by encouraging such cooperation, gaps in wealth and economic development can be narrowed," Xu said.

While most of the 12 impoverished villages are in western China, the wealthy ones are mostly located in more prosperous regions in East and Southeast China, such as Guoyuan village in Beijing's Fengtai district, where the village's 1,600 residents achieved a total income of 1.61 billion yuan ($240 million) in 2015.

The agreements will see officials from the impoverished villages working in the wealthy villages to learn new skills and encourage exchanges.

Over the past three decades, more than 600 million poor Chinese－about 70 percent of the world total－have been lifted out of poverty, making China the first developing country to meet the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

China has prioritized poverty reduction, vowing to help the nation's 70 million people who remain below the poverty line－an annual income of less than 2,300 yuan－to shake off poverty and enjoy essential social services by 2020.

According to the World Bank Global Database of Shared Prosperity, China topped the world rankings for both the income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population and the average growth in the whole population from 2008 to 2012.Bert Hofman, the World Bank's country director for China, Mongolia and Korea in the East Asia and Pacific Region, said China's goal to eliminate extreme poverty by 2020 is an ambitious one, but added that with current economic growth rates and policy, the country is capable of reaching it.

In 1990, 35 percent of the world's population lived below the international poverty standard, but by 2013 the proportion had dropped to 10 percent. Fewer than 800 million people worldwide are now considered poor, according to Hofman, who said China had contributed to that progress.


********

I love to read stories where the poor folks are given assistance.

 

[ahojunk]

Commentary: China sprints to stamp out poverty
(Xinhua) 18:30, October 17, 2016

BEIJING, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- China has geared up for its final dash to achieve its ambitious goal of eliminating poverty by 2020, and the country is fully capable and well equipped to meet the target.

Marking its third National Poverty Relief Day on Monday, China struck a strong note on fighting poverty, pledging further increases in funds for impoverished areas.

China will ensure "substantial growth" in its funding for poverty alleviation in the five years leading up to 2020 on the back of the already enormous amount of spending, said a government white paper.

China assigned special poverty relief funds amounting to 189.84 billion yuan (about 28.17 billion U.S. dollars) from 2011 to 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 14.5 percent, according to the white paper.

On Monday, 51 large state-owned companies including State Grid launched a 12 billion yuan fund that will grow to 100 billion yuan, to invest in urbanization, medical and health programs, and projects to help create jobs in the impoverished regions.

Poverty relief is high on China's 2016-2020 agenda, and the government has vowed to lift everybody out of poverty by 2020. By the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people living in poverty.

During his visit to the underdeveloped northwest Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in July, Chinese President Xi Jinpingsaid it was his "top concern" to lift all people out of poverty by 2020.

"No one should be left behind," Xi once said, referring to the urgency and importance of poverty alleviation.

It is natural for China to attach importance to poverty reduction, as it is aiming for a "Xiaokang," an all-round moderately prosperous society, by 2020,

Since the start of the reform and opening-up in 1978, China's economic boom has helped lift more than 700 million people out of poverty.

China was the first developing country to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target -- a 50 percent reduction in the number of people living in poverty by 2015.

According to the UN MDGs Report 2015, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in China fell from 61 percent in 1990 to 4.2 percent in 2014, with the number of people China has raised from poverty accounting for 70 percent of the world's total.

However, the impressive record should be no reason for complacency.

By any standard, it is a daunting task to bring 55 million people out of poverty in just five years -- equivalent to an entire population of a medium-sized country.

“This will prove a hard nut to crack," said the white paper, adding that most of the remaining impoverished population live in extreme poverty and have weak capacity for development, and solutions for them are increasingly costly and complex.

Moreover, a large number of those who have recently escaped poverty can easily be pushed back into it as a result of natural disasters, illness, or issues involving education, marriage and housing, according to the white paper.

Facing the challenges and time pressure, however, China is fully capable and well equipped to achieve the 2020 goal.

First, an expected annual economic growth above 6.5 percent over the five years from 2016 to 2020 would serve as a financial guarantee for carrying forward the cause of poverty reduction.

Second, China has a unique and efficient governance system and has a solid record in "pulling resources to accomplish great undertakings," poverty reduction being one of them.

Third, China has accumulated rich experience and is putting forward new ideas in helping the poor, from boosting local specialty industries and resettling impoverished populations to ensuring access to education and strengthening social security networks.


********

I love to see more countries helping their poor folks.
For poor countries which don't have the means, I understand.
For moderately rich and rich countries, it is morally reprehensible if they don't help their poor.

.

 

[ahojunk]

China creates fund and mobilizes to eliminate extreme poverty by 2020
October 18, 2016

China established an extreme poverty relief fund with an initial 12.2 billion yuan (US$1.81 billion) in capital from 51 state-owned enterprises, including the State Development and Investment Corp and the State Grid. That sum will eventually grow as as much as 100 billion yuan (US$14.8 billion), according to a statement from the State Council's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

China pledged to lift 10 million people out of poverty every year from 2016 On Monday, October 17, in a white paper on China's progress in poverty reduction and human rights issued by China's State Council Information Office. The aim is to eradicate extreme poverty by 2020.

The goal is to ensure every Chinese earns more than 4,000 yuan a year (US$594/ year of US$1.61 per day) - the State-owned assets commission has required that the initial 12 billion yuan is invested by 2018, According to an internal report acquired by China Daily.

In June 2014, the Ministry of Finance, SDIC and China Tobacco Established a poverty alleviation fund of 2.8 billion yuan, the first of its kind in China. Liu, whose company also runs that fund, said the investment strategy will "be almost the same ", With the aim to maximize the business impact.

This year, China has allocated more than 100 billion yuan of government-controlled funds, a record amount, to help lift more people out of poverty, according to Su Guoxia, a spokeswoman for the leading group on poverty alleviation.

Funding from the central budget was increased to 66.7 billion yuan, up by 43.4 percent on last year, while provincial budgets exceeded a total of 40 billion yuan, an increase of more than 50 percent.

On Monday, China's State Council Information Service issued a white paper on China's progress in poverty reduction and human rights.

China still had 56 million people living in extreme poverty, roughly the same size as the population of South Africa.

According to World Bank statistics, over the past several decades China has accounted for more than 70 per cent of reductions in global poverty. The poverty-stricken population in China has plunged from 770 million people in 1978 — the year before economic reforms began — to 55.8 million in 2015. And the Human Development Index (HDI) for China has improved by 43 per cent between 1990 and 2013, compared to an improvement of 17.6 per cent globally.


By the early 2000s, the overall poverty rate in China had shrunk dramatically.

But China’s poverty entered a new phase marked by widening gaps between cities and rural areas, and between coastal industrial regions and the interior hinterlands. The relationship between economic growth and poverty alleviation was more complicated and less assured than once thought.

It appeared that economic growth driven by industrialisation was not a panacea. Economist Theodore Schultz argued that developing a modern agricultural sector was equally as important. After all, the majority of poor people live in the countryside and earn their livelihood through agriculture. Schultz argued that the root cause of poverty is not a shortage of physical capital but a shortage of ‘human capital’, such as education and healthcare.

From the early 2000s onward, the Chinese government began to focus on addressing agriculture, the state of rural areas and the status of farmers. In 2006 they eliminated agricultural taxes, which had existed for more than 2000 years. The government also made great efforts to improve social services in rural areas, providing improved education for rural students and new cooperative medical care, as well as minimum living-standard guarantees for more than 53 million rural people.

Since 2011 the growth rate in per capita net income and per capita GDP for rural residents has been higher than the national average. In 2015 alone, the impoverished population in rural areas declined by 14.42 million people, and the incidence of poverty fell to 5.7 per cent from 7.2 per cent in the previous year.


China's experience in poverty alleviation entails:

- Continuous reform and innovation; sustained and steady economic growth with policies favoring poor regions and poor people.

- Integrating poverty alleviation into the national development strategy, and organizing large-scale poverty alleviation programs with targeted programs for women, children, disabled people and ethnic minorities;

- Adopting a development-oriented poverty alleviation approach that focuses on development as the fundamental way to get out of poverty, and building poor people's capacity to help themselves.

- Pursuing a strategy of balanced urban and rural economic-social development, getting industry to support agriculture and cities to support rural areas.

- Developing infrastructure, including roads, water and sanitation, electrification, natural gas supply and housing.

- Mobilizing all resources for poverty reduction, including both public and private sectors.

- Integrating general and special favorable policies, development-oriented poverty alleviation and social safety nets.

In the next five years, China, as the biggest developing country in the world, is entering a critical stage of its efforts to build a well-off society, and facing a number of new challenges in poverty reduction.

By the end of 2015, 55.75 million Chinese people lived in poverty, equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country. The nation still has 14 poor regions, 832 poor counties, and 128,000 poor villages. It will be a hard task to help The residual poor, as they live in deep poverty and lack self-development capacity. And it will become increasingly difficult and costly. But there is no time to loose. To eliminate extreme poverty by 2020, 10 million people have to be lifted out of Poverty each year for the next four years. Their vulnerability means that they are very likely to fall back into poverty due to disaster, illness, and education and housing costs.

China also faces many new problems, such as economic slowdown and industrial restructuring, inadequate targeting mechanism, poorly defined responsibilities, inefficient allocation and use of resources, and lack of effective policy coordination among poverty alleviation, rural minimum living standards guarantee, new rural cooperative medical Care, medical assistance, dilapidated housing rehabilitation and education assistance, and lack of adaptation to local conditions and specific guidance.

China will pursue targeted poverty alleviation policies and strive to reduce poverty through development of industries, labor migration, relocation, and minimum living standards guarantee scheme. The government will increase fiscal spending and financial support, strengthen land policy, mobilize a private environment, and create a favorable environment. It also focuses on resolving alleviation responsibilities of governments at all levels, developing a rigorous monitoring and evaluation system, and establishing an exit mechanism for poor counties.

 

[TaiShang]

Families relocated in poverty alleviation

Xinhua, November 14, 2016


Photo taken on Nov. 13, 2016 shows the new Lianglitun stockade of Nanzhai Village in Liangkou Town of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. As a poverty alleviation move, about 20 families in Lianglitun area have been relocated from the mountains to the new stockade near national highway. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)


Women of Dong ethnic group chat in Lianglitun stockade of Nanzhai Village in Liangkou Town of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 13, 2016. As a poverty alleviation move, about 20 families in Lianglitun area have been relocated from the mountains to the new stockade near national highway. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)


Women of Dong ethnic group cook youcha, a traditional local appetizer, in Lianglitun stockade of Nanzhai Village in Liangkou Town of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 13, 2016. As a poverty alleviation move, about 20 families in Lianglitun area have been relocated from the mountains to the new stockade near national highway. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)


Women of Dong ethnic group cook youcha, a traditional local appetizer, in Lianglitun stockade of Nanzhai Village in Liangkou Town of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nov. 13, 2016. As a poverty alleviation move, about 20 families in Lianglitun area have been relocated from the mountains to the new stockade near national highway. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)


Photo taken on Nov. 13, 2016 shows the new Lianglitun stockade of Nanzhai Village in Liangkou Town of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. As a poverty alleviation move, about 20 families in Lianglitun area have been relocated from the mountains to the new stockade near national highway. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

 

[ahojunk]

China's cabinet issues five-year plan for poverty alleviation
2016-12-03 09:56 | Xinhua | Editor: Wang Fan

China's cabinet, the State Council, has released a poverty alleviation plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).

Poverty alleviation is the most difficult task for China to realize the goal of building an all-round moderately prosperous society, of which rural poverty is the weakest link, said the document released Friday.

The plan maintains the nation's precision-poverty relief measures while implementing regional development strategies, with a focus on old revolutionary bases, as well as ethnic minority and border areas.

The plan featured a number of poverty-relief projects under the coordination of the government, the market and society, which aim to break the development bottlenecks of poverty-stricken areas and help the poor boost their abilities to achieve self-sustained development.

China plans to lift all of its poor out of poverty by 2020, especially those who live in the nation's 128,000 poor villages and 832 poor counties, where poverty has become a regional issue, according to the document.

Major tasks for the next five years include ensuring people have enough to eat and wear, and that they have adequate education, health services and housing, it said.

The plan is critical to achieving the country's ambitious goal of stamping out poverty by 2020.

Poverty relief is high on China's agenda. Since the start of reform and opening-up in 1978, an economic boom has helped lift more than 700 million people out of poverty.

By the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people below the national poverty line of 2,800 yuan per year.

The document said China will take precise, targeted and differentiated measures to ensure effective poverty relief.

Poor areas will be encouraged to develop competitive industries, such as agriculture, tourism and e-commerce, said the document.

Some people living in impoverished regions will be relocated, with a variety of support measures to increase their incomes.

A series of special programs will be launched to create more jobs for the poor, and improve education, health care and ecological environment in poverty-stricken areas, said the document.

Besides, the government will guarantee basic living standard for people unable to work, it added.


*******

Now China has the money, it is heart-warming to see the government really cares for the poor.
It's sad in other countries, their rich bankers are screwing their poor.
.

 

[somebozo]

There is no poverty relief until population of poor people is controlled..one child policy is a good start..guess what poor people do best...have a lot of kids and create more poverty...

 

[ahojunk]

China's war on poverty
2016-12-05 13:23 | chinadaily.com.cn | Editor:Li Yan

 

[Jlaw]

China's cabinet issues five-year plan for poverty alleviation
2016-12-03 09:56 | Xinhua | Editor: Wang Fan

China's cabinet, the State Council, has released a poverty alleviation plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).

Poverty alleviation is the most difficult task for China to realize the goal of building an all-round moderately prosperous society, of which rural poverty is the weakest link, said the document released Friday.

The plan maintains the nation's precision-poverty relief measures while implementing regional development strategies, with a focus on old revolutionary bases, as well as ethnic minority and border areas.

The plan featured a number of poverty-relief projects under the coordination of the government, the market and society, which aim to break the development bottlenecks of poverty-stricken areas and help the poor boost their abilities to achieve self-sustained development.

China plans to lift all of its poor out of poverty by 2020, especially those who live in the nation's 128,000 poor villages and 832 poor counties, where poverty has become a regional issue, according to the document.

Major tasks for the next five years include ensuring people have enough to eat and wear, and that they have adequate education, health services and housing, it said.

The plan is critical to achieving the country's ambitious goal of stamping out poverty by 2020.

Poverty relief is high on China's agenda. Since the start of reform and opening-up in 1978, an economic boom has helped lift more than 700 million people out of poverty.

By the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people below the national poverty line of 2,800 yuan per year.

The document said China will take precise, targeted and differentiated measures to ensure effective poverty relief.

Poor areas will be encouraged to develop competitive industries, such as agriculture, tourism and e-commerce, said the document.

Some people living in impoverished regions will be relocated, with a variety of support measures to increase their incomes.

A series of special programs will be launched to create more jobs for the poor, and improve education, health care and ecological environment in poverty-stricken areas, said the document.

Besides, the government will guarantee basic living standard for people unable to work, it added.


*******

Now China has the money, it is heart-warming to see the government really cares for the poor.
It's sad in other countries, their rich bankers are screwing their poor.
.

China is doing real poverty elimination. West just hand out food stamp and rely on general population for charity. the government too busy helping the rich become richer

There is no poverty relief until population of poor people is controlled..one child policy is a good start..guess what poor people do best...have a lot of kids and create more poverty...

@Bussard Ramjet would disagree with you. He want all Indians to have 10 children

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

China is doing real poverty elimination. West just hand out food stamp and rely on general population for charity. the government too busy helping the rich become richer


@Bussard Ramjet would disagree with you. He want all Indians to have 10 children

No, not really. The current course is good enough, when the Total Fertility Rate is around 2.3-2.4

Also, my advocacy for China is not to have a TFR of 10 or something. Rather, it is for them to have a TFR of around 2.2

2.1 is the replacement fertility rate, that is the rate required for the population to stay stable.

There is no poverty relief until population of poor people is controlled..one child policy is a good start..guess what poor people do best...have a lot of kids and create more poverty...

No, having a one child policy is not gonna help, and has never helped.

China's success was not due to one child policy. I=

It was due to a whole economic revolution, a result of good policies.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Poverty Chart - % living below $1.90. In order -

Bangla
India
China
Pakistan

link > https://ourworldindata.org/world-poverty/

 

[Jlaw]

No, not really. The current course is good enough, when the Total Fertility Rate is around 2.3-2.4

Also, my advocacy for China is not to have a TFR of 10 or something. Rather, it is for them to have a TFR of around 2.2

2.1 is the replacement fertility rate, that is the rate required for the population to stay stable.




No, having a one child policy is not gonna help, and has never helped.

China's success was not due to one child policy. I=

It was due to a whole economic revolution, a result of good policies.

your population dividend resulted in your MBA grads making only 147$ cad/month.
and you have 3000 people fight for a low wage janitor job.