China ensures people's basic livelihood in battle against poverty
To win the battle against poverty, China has taken a series of measures to ensure people's basic livelihood, said officials at a press conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Monday.
By Cui Can
China has strengthened assistance for impoverished people affected by the coronavirus outbreak by streamlining the working process of social assistance and increasing subsidies, said Liu Xitang, head of the Department of Social Assistance of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, at a press conference held by China's State Council Information Office on Monday in Beijing.
From January to September, subsistence allowances, penury assistance and temporary subsidies totaled 184.4 billion yuan (US$28.08 billion), an increase of 34.1 billion yuan (18%) compared with the same period of last year.
Hubei province has been one of the most affected regions during this outbreak. The central government has allocated 8.97 billion yuan in basic living allowances and subsidies for people facing financial difficulties in the province, up 38%, according to Liu.
China has also taken measures to increase people's subsistence allowances. According to Chen Hongbo, an official from the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the subsistence allowance for rural residents was raised from 3,177.6 yuan in 2015 to 5,841.7 yuan in the third quarter of 2020.
Since 2017, the subsistence allowance for rural residents in all counties and cities across the country has reached or surpassed the national poverty line, ensuring that poor people are free from worries over food and clothing.
In poverty-stricken areas, such as Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture of Gansu province, the subsistence allowance for rural residents has reached 4,428 yuan after three consecutive years of annual increases, said Dong Xiufang, head of the local Civil Affairs Bureau.
