Source: CCTV.com
12-22-2008 16:58
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Background Report:
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Intro:
In today’s special series commemorating 30th anniversary of China’s opening up and reform, we shall focus on poverty-alleviation. Despite the triumph and glow of the country’s campaign of poverty relief over the past three decades, China is poorer than many of our people thought, but is no less successful in the fight against poverty no matter what criteria we use.
Since initiating economic reform after 1978, our economy has expanded at a steady rate over 8 percent per capita, and the poverty rate has declined from over 60 percent to 7 percent in 2007. But, there is no reason for us to get complacent since there can be far more vulnerable poor people if we raise the poverty-line from one day one dollar to two dollars. And China proves poorer than many African countries by this standard.
What can be done to further improve the livelihoods of the ordinary people? How can domestic spending be stimulated? Will the impact of the current financial crisis create a humanitarian crisis amongst the poor and have-nots?
