War on poverty an uphill battle ( 2003-09-01 07:15) (China Daily)
The pledge made by the State
Council Poverty-relief Office that the country will help lift poverty-stricken
rural citizens out of difficulty by 2010 is certainly welcome, not only by those
in the target group, but by others who have concerned themselves with the
pitiable situation.
The initiative, which was released on Thursday, will benefit the 28 million
rural people now struggling below the national poverty level. Meanwhile, 60
million others with low incomes will also see marked improvement in their
finances.
The commitment to make greater efforts in poverty reduction once again
highlights the responsible image of the government. It will not only contribute
to the country's overall social and economic development but also to the world's
poverty-relief endeavour.
China's achievements in the area of poverty relief has won worldwide acclaim
in recent years. A report released last month by the United Nations's
Development Programme in Beijing pointed out that much of the impressive
reduction in global poverty has been driven by China's incredible economic
growth of over 9 per cent a year in the 1990s, lifting 150 million people out of
poverty.
Nevertheless, given the country's huge population base, the current number of
people in poverty is still large enough to be a drain on the national ambition
of building a well-off society by the middle of this century.
What's more, providing basic living conditions and bringing common prosperity
to all should definitely be the direction of any civilized and advanced society.
The widening gap between the haves and have-nots has already caused social
discontent and resulted in unbalanced development in the country.
Of course, it is by no means an easy task to make the good blessings a
reality.
Those who have been left in poverty are largely living in places with the
most difficult natural conditions. Without a huge injection of funds to provide
necessary infrastructure and basic needs like drinking water, income relief is a
hollow promise.
It is equally important to help the poor acquire the ability to make their
ends meet instead of totally relying on governmental or social relief.
