TAIYUAN, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang has said the evaluation of poverty relief work should be used as a way to pressure local governments to implement the country's poverty relief measures.

The country should take poverty relief assessment and third-party evaluation seriously to push for earnest implementation of poverty relief measures, Wang said during his inspection this weekend in north China's Shanxi Province.

Evaluation teams should make field visits to ensure the accuracy and reliability of evaluation results, the vice premier said at a meeting during the inspection.

Wang also said the country should make good use of the evaluation results by taking necessary measures against those who provide fake figures or fail to complete poverty relief goals.

As of the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people living in poverty. The country plans to lift all of the poor out of poverty by 2020.