According to the standard of US$85 year-income per capita, China's population under the absolute poverty line in rural area has decreased significantly. According to Liu Jian, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, it has fallen from 125 million to 23.65 million between 1985 and 2005.

Liu said that during the international seminar of anti-poverty and regional cooperation, ¡°the reduction of the most amount of population under poverty line is during the year 2004 and 2005. The Chinese government has allocated 13.4 billion Yuan for the poverty alleviation, and the allocation will be increased year by year.

China has attached great importance on eliminating poverty and improving the standard of living. China established a special department for poverty alleviation and expanded this work to the rest of the country in the mid 1980's.

(People's Daily August 25, 2006)