Around 859,100 people from 11 ethnic minority groups in southwest China's Yunnan Province have been lifted out poverty, the provincial poverty relief office said on Saturday. Yunnan, which had the country's largest remaining poor population at the end of last year, has eradicated absolute poverty, officials said. The 11 groups refer to minority groups with relatively small populations and those called Zhiguo. The term Zhiguo refers to minority groups who, before entering modernization, had lived in relative isolation and skipped the transition period associated with feudal monarchy. With unremitting poverty-relief efforts, local industries are thriving and the living conditions for those mainly inhabiting border and mountain valley areas have been greatly improved as well.
