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Wiping out poverty galvanizes China
By Zhao Huanxin (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-10-18 07:53
China has achieved poverty reduction on a scale that has no parallel in human
history, remarked a top World Bank official.
But despite those extraordinary achievements, millions in rural areas
continue to live without enough food or clothing.
To eradicate the scourge of abject poverty throughout the country all walks
of society need to be further mobilized, Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu said yesterday
in Beijing.
He was speaking at the Poverty Eradication Awards ceremony held at Beijing's
Great Hall of the People.
Among the award winners were the World Bank, China's Project Hope and
individuals, including Chong Chan-yau of Oxfam Hong Kong recognized for their
tremendous contributions to alleviating poverty in China.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Hui said while the government will take the
lead in eradicating destitution, it will continue to guide, encourage and
support both individuals and organizations to join in the poverty-relief
campaign.
As the latest effort towards that end, the China Foundation for Poverty
Alleviation yesterday signed a contract with the All-China Federation of
Industry and Commerce.
The agreement gives preferential policies, including tax cuts and exemptions,
to encourage private enterprise to recruit staff or run firms in those
poverty-blighted regions, according to sources with the foundation.
The award ceremony was one of a number of events to mark the 12th
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The day was fixed by the
United Nations in 1992.
By the end of last year, China had 29 million rural people living without
sufficient food and clothing. In addition, the country has 60 million people
with disabilities who need help, said Hui.
The eradication of poverty is the responsibility of the whole society.
With this in mind, China set the theme of the international day as, "mobilize
the whole society into participating in poverty-reduction," he said.
In the years ahead, China's central government agencies will continue to
launch partnership poverty reduction programmes in those poor areas.
Co-operation for poverty-relief purposes will be strengthened between the
affluent east and the less-developed west, he said.
Helping poverty eradication projects in other countries will also figure high
on China's agenda, he added. The China International Poverty Eradication Centre,
shortly to establish, will serve that effort.
Speaking yesterday Jemal-ud-din Kassum, World Bank vice-president for the
Asia-Pacific Region, said: "Since 1980, China has achieved poverty reduction on
a scale that has no parallel in human history."
Along with those achievements, challenges have emerged, particularly
environmental degradation which threatens to impede future growth, and the
slowed pace of poverty reduction among the disabled and those in remote rural
areas, said Kassum.
Winners of yesterday's China Poverty Eradication Award included, Dr Li
Xiaoyun of the China Agricultural University for his acclaimed participatory
poverty reduction programme, and the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences for its small credit and loan project.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a message of congratulations to the
recipients that he is confident the government and people of China will continue
their mobilization at home, and strengthen their role in international efforts
to eradicate poverty.
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