WAR ON POVERTY

Along with the stunning economic growth over the past three decades, China's poverty relief work has been on the constant move.

From 1978 to 2010, China lifted around 660 million people out of poverty, amounting for over 90 percent of the world's total relieved poverty population, according to the country's leading group office of poverty alleviation and development.

Along with overall GDP growth targets, the government is focusing on raising the income of the country's population with a current goal to double per capita income from those recorded in 2010 by 2020.

In an effort to expand the safety net for those in poverty, the national poverty line was increased from 206 yuan in 1986 to 2,300 yuan in 2011,

However, the war on poverty still has a long way to go, with over 80 million people still mired in poverty by the national standard.

Thousands of villages are still without electricity and about 100,000 villages still have no access to modern roads, according to Liu Yongfu, head of the State Council's leading group office of poverty alleviation and development (CPAD).

The decision to set up a national poverty relief day marks China's renewed campaign to allocate more manpower and resources to help those in need. This year alone, they aim to lift over 10 million people out of poverty, Liu said.

The office leading the charge called for the whole society to pay more attention and offer more help to the poor. On National poverty relief day this Friday, a range of activities to raise awareness has been initiated, including a mobile app that allows individuals to donate money to the poverty alleviation foundation.

Meanwhile, a nationwide campaign to gather detailed information on the poor has been launched, urging them to register information on causes and level of poverty so the government can offer specific support, Liu said.