China's rural poverty on the decline: report

The number of rural poor in China has dropped by nearly 67 million from 2010 to 2012, according to an official report.

By the end of 2012, there were nearly 100 million rural residents still living in poverty, Xinhua cited from the State Council's report Wednesday.

Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, delivered the report to lawmakers at a bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), being held from Dec 23 to 28.

Per capita annual net income in key poverty counties increased from 3,273 yuan ($537) to 4,602 yuan ($753) in the 2010 to 2012 period, an annual growth of 18.6 percent.

Infrastructure in these areas has constantly improved, said the report. A highway linking Tibet's Medog county, the last roadless county in China, opened to traffic in October 2013.

Rural education has moved forward. At the end of 2012, 97 percent of children at age of 7-15 in key counties had attended school.

A development-oriented poverty reduction outline for rural China (2011-2020), which was promulgated in 2011, set the per capita annual net income of 2,300 yuan as the new rural poverty threshold, significantly up on the original standard.

In 2011, the central government put 227.2 billion yuan into the poverty relief fund, up 40.4 percent from the previous year. In 2012, the figure reached 299.6 billion yuan, up 31.9 percent year-on-year.

The central government pushed forward economic development in Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the report said.

Medical expenses in poor counties were 60 percent of the average rural level. Many were unable to see doctors when necessary, Liu said in the report.