China's poverty level has come down to 13 per cent last year from 84 per cent in 1980, with the per capita income increasing nearly 30 folds to USD 6,064 from a mere USD 205 three decade ago, a top minister said today.
"China engages in economic development to boost employment both in urban and rural areas, increase residents' incomes and households' property incomes, and improve people's living conditions, involving their basic everyday needs," said Chinese Information Minister Cai Mingzhao Chinese Minister.
"In 2012, the proportion of China's GDP to the world increased from 1.89 per cent in 1980 to 11.57 per cent. Its per capita GDP grew up from USD 205 to USD 6,064, with an increase nearly 30 times. In comparison, the proportion of population in poverty decreased from 84 per cent in 1980 to 13 percent in 2012," he said at the Sixth Beijing Forum on Human Rights.
However, according to UN estimates, China still has a huge population of about 150 million living below the poverty line.
Brushing aside criticism about lack of political rights in the Communist nation, Cai said China insists on actively pushing forward reforms in its political structure by spreading socialist democracy and speeding up the construction of a socialist country of governance by law.
At the end of 2012, more than 98 per cent of village committees all over the country realised direct selection and villagers' average participation reached 95 per cent, he said.
The minister also addressed concerns in International circles regarding human rights violation in the country.
"For human rights development, there is no best, only better. The cause of human rights of China has attained enormous achievements obvious to everyone, but China is still the largest developing country in the world, and still facing such problems as an excessively large population and great regional disparities, its environmental and ecological protection is enduring considerable pressure," Cai said.
Addressing the issue of protection of ecological rights of citizens, Cai said that in a bid to reduce pollution level in the country, China has eliminated iron smelting facilities with a capacity of 117 million tons, steel smelting facilities with a capacity of 78 million tons and cement production facilities with capacity of 775-ton between 2008 and 2012.
