China to enhance int'l cooperation in poverty relief, human rights

China will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with developing countries and international organizations in the fields of poverty alleviation and human rights, according to a white paper issued Monday.

The country will share advanced concepts and experience in those fields through foreign aid, project cooperation, technology transfer and think-tank exchanges, said the white paper titled "China's Progress in Poverty Reduction and Human Rights".

China has provided nearly 400 billion yuan to 166 countries and international organizations, sent more than 600,000 aid workers, given medical assistance to 69 countries, and aided more than 120 developing countries in realizing the Millennium Goals, said the document.

In addition, on seven occasions China has unconditionally canceled interest-free loans to heavily indebted countries and least developed countries, according to the white paper.

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

China's poverty-reduction commitment embodies its sense of responsibility to the world as a major country, the white paper said.

It noted that China will continue to honor international obligations commensurate with the state and status of its own development.

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 citizens China has raised from poverty accounting for 70 percent of the world's total. Endi