State Ethnic Affairs Commission issued results of poverty monitoring in rural ethnic minority areas on April 15^th, 2014. According to the results, there were 22.05 million impoverished rural population in the eight major regions and provinces inhabited by ethnic minorities in 2014, which means 3.57 million people have been lifted out of poverty and the poverty reduction rate reached 13.9% compared with the previous year, and the national poverty reduction rate was 14.9% in the corresponding period. In the eight regions and provinces, 14.7% of the rural population are living under the poverty line, accounting for 31.4% of impoverished rural population in China.

Source: seac.gov.cn  Apr. 16, 2015

Recently, Jishou University issued the Development Report of Contiguous Destitute Areas in China, which suggests that contiguous destitute areas should promote urbanization through different means. Contiguous destitute areas need to adjust measures to local conditions and promote urbanization in various ways. These areas can push forward urbanization process by developing tourism, mining industry, border trade and transportation according to their own conditions.

Source: chinanews.com  Apr. 15, 2015

Living standard and consumption capacity of rural residents in the poverty-stricken areas of Shanxi Province are gradually improving. Shanxi Investigation Team of National Bureau of Statistics conducted a sample survey in 36 key counties in Shanxi Province as part of the national plan for poverty alleviation through development. According to the survey, average per capita expenditure of rural residents in impoverished areas in Shanxi Province stood at 5079.82 yuan in 2014, increased by 9.7% compared with the same period in the previous year. The consumption structure of rural residents in these areas becomes more reasonable and the consumption level increases continually.

Source: Sanjin City News  Apr. 16, 2015

Local Poverty Alleviation News:

Gansu Province registered 642,300 dilapidated buildings of impoverished rural households, turning dilapidated house renovation into “targeted renovation”. Gansu Province will renovate 140,000 dilapidated buildings of rural poor families this year, and 90% of the quota will fall in 58 destitute counties. According to the plan, all the dilapidated buildings of rural poor families in the province will be renovated by 2020.

Source: xinhuanet.com  Apr. 16, 2015

Nearly half of the poor people have been lifted out of poverty in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province in the past four years. Remarkable progress of poverty alleviation was made in Liangshan Prefecture from 2011 to 2014. With an accumulative total of 5.457 billion yuan investment in poverty alleviation, 1,034 stockaded villages of the Yi nationality and 85,749 houses were built in the prefecture, and integrated village development program was launched in 272 villages. The number of people below the rural poverty line of 2,300 yuan (annual average income per capita) was reduced from 1.0767 million at the end of 2010 to 0.506 million.

Source: Sichuan Daily  Apr. 14, 2015 

Jiangxi Province succeeded in lifting 1.6 million people out of poverty in three years. To help poor people live a happy life, Jiangxi Province carried out targeted poverty alleviation. As a result, impoverished population was reduced by nearly 1.6 million, from 4.38 million in 2011 to 2.76 million in 2014. Per capita net income in 25 impoverished counties in the province increased from 3,768 yuan to 5,950 yuan, up by 57.9% with an average annual growth rate of 12.7%.

Source: Jiangxi Network Radio TV  Apr. 12, 2015

Gansu Provincial Association for Development of Old Revolutionary Bases helps impoverished families develop sheep breeding project. This year, the pilot project will be expanded to cover 2,631 poor families. Investment of the project totals 11.3155 million yuan, among which 10 million yuan is allocated by the central government as special funds for poverty alleviation.

                                   Source: Gansu Daily  Apr. 13, 2015

In 2015, Zhongshan City in Guangdong Province started the annual dilapidated house renovation program for families entitled to basic living allowances, low-income families and families with disabled ex-servicemen or revolutionary martyrs. It was reported that funding for the program would come from Zhongshan municipal government and related township governments. For those who renovate their homes, Zhongshan government would offer subsidies of 4,000 yuan per household, and 640 yuan per square meter for those who rebuild their homes.

Source: Southern Metropolis Daily  Apr.15, 2015

Hainan fulfilled its annual goal of lifting 90,000 people out of poverty in 2014. In 2014, Hainan Province allocated 128 million yuan special funds for poverty alleviation from the central government to help 49,5000 rural households develop industries with local characteristics; launched integrated village development program in 60 impoverished villages to help villagers reduce poverty; and enhanced infrastructure construction in poverty-stricken areas, highlight the building of “Beautiful Villages” and “Civilized Ecological Villages”; allocate 37 million yuan as anti-poverty skill training funds to promote the “Dew Plan” to improve vocational education and training for the labor force so as to prepare them for jobs in non-agricultural sectors.

Source: hainanok.net  Apr.16, 2015

Public Poverty Alleviation and Charity News:

Recently, China Children and Teenagers Fund set up a special fund to help treat children and teenagers with vitiligo from poverty-stricken families. This fund is targeted at underage Chinese vitiligo patients from poverty-stricken families who seek for assistance.

Source: xinhuanet.com  Apr.11, 2015

Prominent figures from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries donated 10.95 million yuan in Jiangxi. On April 15^th, Liao Zeyun, vice chairman of China Overseas Friendship Association (COFA), headed a delegation of 51 prominent figures from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries to investigate in Guangchang County in Jiangxi Province, a site in the former Central Soviet Areas. The delegation donated 10.95 million yuan as subsidies for students and construction of local clinics.

Source: xinhuanet.com  Apr.15, 2015

Organizer: Beijing Normal University China Poverty Reduction Research Center