China releases blueprint on fight against poverty

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council released a document of instructions on poverty alleviation on Monday.

The document followed a high-profile conference on the issue in Beijing late in November, during which the leadership pledged resolute measures to help lift 70 million poor rural people out of poverty by 2020.

This job has bearing on the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, according to the document.

Poverty alleviation will also help expand domestic demand and boost economic growth, said the document.

It called for creative ideas and methods to address poverty as the country had hit "the home stretch" in its fight against the problem.

The document reiterated that there should be more targeted and precise measures, as well as ways to ensure poor people in rural areas have access to food, clothes, basic education, medical care, and a safe home by 2020.

Per-capita disposable income of farmers in poor areas should grow faster than the national average, and basic public services should almost match the national average criteria.

"Extraordinary measures should be taken, solid solutions applied, and the Party and society should be mobilized to win the tough battle against poverty," the document said. Endi