Senior Chinese official stresses research in poverty relief work

Poverty relief officials should conduct more on-site research and investigations in order to make tailored and practical poverty reduction policies, a senior Chinese official stressed.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research tour from Thursday to Monday in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Wang, also head of the State Council leading group on poverty relief, said that making tailored policies is the very basis of targeted execution of these policies, which requires more investigation and research efforts.

Nujiang is among the regions suffering from abject poverty, with 42 percent of the population living below the poverty line.

During his research tour, Wang visited low-income families living in a mountain village reachable only after hours of hiking on steep roads.

While acknowledging the region's achievements so far, Wang underlined the arduous tasks ahead and urged more targeted efforts.

China has set 2020 as the target to complete the building of a "moderately prosperous society," which requires the eradication of poverty.