China needed more efforts to fight rural poverty with further development-oriented poverty alleviation and a rural subsistence allowances system next year, Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said Tuesday.

Hui was speaking at a conference of members of China's State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development in Beijing.

Hui said the country still faced great difficulties and challenges in poverty alleviation next year though it had made some headway in 2009.

Income growth in poverty-stricken areas had accelerated, but the widening income gap and unbalanced economic development remained serious problems, Hui said.

He said China would put more effort in poverty relief by perfecting the rural subsistence allowances system and boosting infrastructure construction in poverty-stricken areas.

Priority should be given to income growth of the poor in 2010, he said.

Hui also called for more efforts from non-governmental sectors in poverty alleviation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2009)