1st Ld-Writethru: China to intensify poverty relief efforts in 2016-2020

The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday reiterated its determination to fight poverty, pledging to step up financial support for impoverished areas in the next five years.

Eliminating poverty in rural areas is the most difficult challenge in China's goal to build a "moderately prosperous society," according to proposals released by the CPC Central Committee on the 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) for national economic and social development.

China will adopt a series of targeted poverty-relief policies and improve infrastructure in rural areas, including roads, access to water, power and Internet, the CPC said, pledging to enhance education, healthcare and public services in poor areas.

China will also build a service system to take care of "left-behind" children, women and the elderly, according to the proposals.

While increasing fiscal input for the issue, China will take steps to widen financing channels and mobilize social forces in the battle against poverty.

China has made remarkable progress in poverty relief. It was the first developing country to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reducing the population living in poverty by half ahead of the 2015 deadline.

Despite this, China still had 70.17 million people in the countryside living below the country's poverty line of 2,300 yuan (376 U.S. dollars) in annual income by 2010 price standards. Endi