China's Regional Poverty Relief Cooperation Fruitful
Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao said that cooperation in getting rid of poverty by more developed eastern parts of the country with underdeveloped western parts in China is achieving success.
He made the remark at a national conference on inter-regional poverty relief that was held on April 9 in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, where he urged the provinces and cities involved to increase cooperation and focus on improving their ecological environment and solving food and clothing problems.
Wen is head of the State Council's Poverty-Eradication and Development Leading Group. He said that in 1996 the State Council drew up a program whereby 9 provinces and municipalities and four cities with provincial economic decision-making power in the east will assist 10 provinces and autonomous regions in the west.
Wen says that the program is of far-reaching significance for economic development and social progress in the poor areas and has provided them with opportunities for economic development. Good partnership is promoted and should be market oriented following the principle of mutual benefit, he says.
China's goal to map out the poverty-elimination plan on a nationwide scale is to wipe out poverty in its rural areas by 2000.
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