Thecover.cn:

Last year, China experienced repeated challenges from natural disasters and the pandemic. What achievements have been made in consolidating and extending the progress in poverty alleviation? And what measures will be taken to prevent a large number of people from falling back into poverty? Thank you.  

Liu Huanxin:

Thank you for your attention to the poverty alleviation work. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation, stressing that this is the premise of rural revitalization, and urged continuous efforts to ensure those lifted out of poverty can live better lives. Over the past year, we have implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Solid efforts have been made in consolidating and extending the gains in poverty alleviation and coordinating them with the promotion of rural revitalization. Our work has been in the following aspects: First, we prevented risks. The dynamic monitoring mechanism to prevent people from falling back into poverty has been established in an all-round manner. The mechanism has eliminated the risks of nearly 70% of the people monitored, and the rest of them have been provided with support measures and can get rid of the risks in the future. We have provided timely support to people that have been lifted out of poverty and then affected by natural disasters, and thus prevented them from falling back into poverty because of disasters. Second, we coordinated work. Support policies that were carried out during the course to eradicate poverty have been adjusted and optimized by category to formulate 33 policies that dovetail with rural revitalization. A total of 160 counties were listed as key counties for national rural revitalization, and favorable policies have been leveraged in 14 sectors. We ramped up eastern-western collaboration, designated assistance, and follow-up support for resettled population. We completed organization of agencies for promoting rural revitalization. Evaluation work has been carried out to ensure the work to consolidate and extend gains in poverty alleviation dovetails with that of promoting rural revitalization. Such work has been promoted in an orderly manner. Third, we boosted development. The central government arranged 156.1 billion yuan in subsidies to promote rural revitalization, which is 10 billion yuan more than the previous year, with over half of the fund invested in developing industries. Some 31.45 million people lifted out of poverty found jobs, up by 1.26 million over last year, representing an increase of 4.2%. The per capita net income of people lifted out of poverty reached 12,550 yuan, an increase of 1,810 yuan or 16.9% over the previous year. In general, we have consolidated and extended poverty alleviation progress in 2021 and ensured that people do not sink back into poverty in large numbers.

Next, we will fully implement the guiding principles laid out by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Solid efforts will be made to ensure departments take their responsibilities, implement policies and carry out work to consolidate and extend poverty alleviation progress. We will work to ensure that people lifted out of poverty live a better life, and ensure that people do not sink back into poverty in large numbers. Our major work will be in the following aspects:

First, efforts will be made to improve the mechanism for monitoring and assisting people at risk of falling back into poverty. Our work will be carried out using a three-pronged approach. First, we will make it more targeted. We will carefully identify the groups that need to be monitored. All rural people at risk of returning to or falling into poverty and those affected by sudden and serious difficulties should be included in the monitoring mechanism. Second, we will provide support earlier. Those experiencing serious financial difficulties arising from housing, education, employment, illness, disaster and epidemic will be provided with support and assistance in a timely manner, so the risk of them returning to or falling into poverty will be nipped in the bud. Third, we will make procedures more simplified. We will remove the barriers that hamper the flow of data among different monitoring platforms, shorten the time and improve the efficiency of the mechanism for monitoring and assisting people at risk of falling back into poverty.

Second, efforts will be made to increase the incomes of people that have been lifted out of poverty. We will focus on providing employment support. Work on consolidating and extending gains in poverty alleviation will be driven more by development. We will prioritize the transformation and upgrading of industries. We will gradually increase the proportion of the central government subsidies for rural revitalization for industrial development. We will step up efforts to address weaknesses in technology, facilities and marketing, and increase the operating income of people that have been lifted out of poverty. We will take every step possible to stabilize employment and ensure more people lifted out of poverty can find jobs through such methods as organizing labor export, boosting employment in paired-up factories, and optimizing public welfare posts for poverty alleviation.

Third, efforts will be made to provide stronger assistance in key areas. In terms of key counties for national rural revitalization, we will compile implementation plans. We will also pool resources to build a series of projects to address weaknesses and boost development in the counties so they will gain a stronger capacity for self-development and have a more solid and sustainable foundation for poverty alleviation. In terms of resettlement areas, we will continue increasing follow-up support with regard to expanding employment, infrastructure construction and public services, so as to ensure smooth resettlement, and make sure that those involved have the means to better themselves.

Fourth, we will make efforts to promote the implementation of assistance policies in regions lifted out of poverty. We can't slam on the breaks as soon as we win the battle against extreme poverty. We need to ensure that major assistance policies will remain unchanged and keep up the support intensity to give them a leg up to get them going. Therefore, we will evaluate the effectiveness of the policies this year to promote the implementation and ensure that they can achieve results, which will ultimately provide support and guarantee for consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation.