China addresses post-relocation in poverty relief

GUIYANG, Aug. 24 (NsNewsWire) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has demanded more to be done to improve the skills of people who have been relocated as part of poverty relief efforts, reports Xinhua.

China plans to end poverty by 2020, in part by relocating 10 million people over the next 5 years from barren or geographically disadvantaged areas to start new lives elsewhere.

“Alleviating poverty through relocation is a key aspect of our strategy,” Li said in a message to a national meeting on the matter.

The two-day meeting ended on Tuesday in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province. Vice Premier Wang Yang attended the meeting.

There were still around 70 million Chinese last year living below the poverty line, many in harsh conditions without roads or water and power.

“Fighting poverty is an arduous, complicated and urgent task, which demands a strong sense of responsibility and mission,” Li said.

The premier urged innovating mechanisms and mobilizing the initiative and creativity of the masses to tackle outstanding problems in the work of relieving poverty through relocation.