More Hongkongers now living below poverty line, labour and welfare chief says
Dr Law Chi-kwong says focus should be on preventing people from ending up in the category
More Hongkongers are living below the poverty line, according to Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong, but he says he is against setting a target for poverty alleviation.
His comments to the Post were in stark contrast to President Xi Jinping’s pledge to lift every rural resident in mainland China out of poverty by 2020.
Xi made the vow at the twice-a-decade 19th party congress last month, where he detailed goals to make China a “moderately prosperous” country in three years.
Law, a veteran social work academic, said Xi’s goal was “achievable”. But he added that he did not advocate setting a target for Hong Kong.
The 2016 figure will be announced later this year by Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Law said he expected the figure to rise further.