China's Poverty Alleviation Policy (Trends and Challenges)

Author: Wang Guoliang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Since the reform and opening-up, China's poverty alleviation and development work has achieved remarkable accomplishments globally. By the end of 2004, the rural population in China without adequate food and clothing had decreased from 250 million in 1978 to 26.1 million, and the incidence of absolute poverty had dropped from 30% to 2.8%. The Global Poverty Alleviation Conference held in Shanghai in May 2004 highly commended China's achievements in poverty alleviation and development. In the 21st century, poverty alleviation and development have become more prominent and important in the process of building a harmonious socialist society. However, due to the continuous changes in the international and domestic environments, China's current poverty alleviation and development work have encountered new situations and issues, such as the slowdown in the reduction of the impoverished population, the widening income gap between impoverished areas and rural areas nationwide, as well as between impoverished farmers and farmers nationwide. We are simultaneously facing the dual pressures of addressing hunger and consolidating food security.