China closing in on declaring initial victory in beating poverty despite turbulent 2020, but concerns remain
- China declares that all 832 of the nation’s 3,000 counties that were designated as poor in 2012 have now been lifted out of poverty based on average income
- But critics argue China set the poverty level too low and that the announcement hides a sharp increase in the income gap between urban and rural areas
China claims to have lifted the last group of over 800 poor counties out of absolute poverty, one of the final steps to eradicating extreme poverty in the country of 1.4 billion people, despite a turbulent 2020.
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China looks to boost its middle class as it wraps up Xi Jinping’s anti-poverty drive
Xia Gengsheng, an official at China’s poverty alleviation office, told the official Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday that the central government will verify that all poor counties have truly eradicated poverty before Beijing makes a final announcement having set a target for it to be achieved this year.
“The objective task of nationwide poverty alleviation has been completed,” state-run broadcaster CCTV said on Monday.
Poverty in China is defined as an annual cash income of 2,300 yuan (US$349), set using 2010 prices, or around 4,000 yuan (US$607) at current prices.
No country has pulled more people out of poverty than China. And Australia is pleased to have played our role in the economic emancipation of millions of Chinese through the development of the Chinese economy