China has achieved poverty reduction on a scale that has no
parallel in human history, remarked a top World Bank
official.
But despite those extraordinary achievements, millions in rural
areas continue to live without enough food or clothing.
To eradicate the scourge of abject poverty throughout the country
all walks of society need to be further mobilized, Vice-Premier Hui
Liangyu said Sunday in Beijing.
He was speaking at the Poverty Eradication Awards ceremony held at
Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
Among the award winners were the World Bank, China's Project
Hope and individuals, including Chong Chan-yau of Oxfam Hong
Kong recognized for their tremendous contributions to alleviating
poverty in China.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Hui said while the government will
take the lead in eradicating destitution, it will continue to
guide, encourage and support both individuals and organizations to
join in the poverty-relief campaign.
As the latest effort towards that end, the China Foundation for
Poverty Alleviation Sunday signed a contract with the All-China
Federation of Industry and Commerce.
The agreement gives preferential policies, including tax cuts and
exemptions, to encourage private enterprise to recruit staff or run
firms in those poverty-blighted regions, according to sources with
the foundation.
The award ceremony was one of a number of events to mark the 12th
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The day was fixed
by the United Nations in 1992.
By the end of last year, China had 29 million rural people living
without sufficient food and clothing. In addition, the country has
60 million people with disabilities who need help, said Hui.
The eradication of poverty is the responsibility of the whole
society.
With this in mind, China set the theme of the international day as,
"mobilize the whole society into participating in
poverty-reduction," he said.
In the years ahead, China's central government agencies will
continue to launch partnership poverty reduction programs in those
poor areas.
Cooperation for poverty-relief purposes will be strengthened
between the affluent east and the less-developed west, he
said.
Helping poverty eradication projects in other countries will also
figure high on China's agenda, he added. The China International
Poverty Eradication Centre, shortly to establish, will serve that
effort.
Speaking Sunday Jemal-ud-din Kassum, World Bank vice-president for
the Asia-Pacific Region, said: "Since 1980, China has achieved
poverty reduction on a scale that has no parallel in human
history."
Along with those achievements, challenges have emerged,
particularly environmental degradation which threatens to impede
future growth, and the slowed pace of poverty reduction among the
disabled and those in remote rural areas, said Kassum.
Winners of Sunday's China Poverty Eradication Award included, Dr Li
Xiaoyun of the China Agricultural University for his acclaimed
participatory poverty reduction program, and the Rural Development
Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for its small
credit and loan project.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a message of
congratulations to the recipients that he is confident the
government and people of China will continue their mobilization at
home, and strengthen their role in international efforts to
eradicate poverty.
(China Daily October 18, 2004)