BEIJING, March 25 -- Poverty is the short slab of Guyuan of northwestern China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in building a well-off society in an all-round way, said Ma Hancheng, mayor and a NPC deputy in an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet lately.

Ningxia Region has attached great importance to the poor areas, including Guyuan, Xiji, Haiyuan to shake off their poverty and become better off.

For Guyuan, poverty alleviation is the priority and central task, said the mayor.

During the past year, analysis was made about the conditions of 361,400 residents in 624 villages of Guyuna. And as a result, three reasons were believed to have led to their poverty while different measures have been taken accordingly to help them, Ma said.

He said the local government also moved many residents from the barren lands and helped them resettle to focus on production of special crops by giving selective support and subsidies to those in need.

Besides, Guyuan has adopted innovative policy that focuses on special industries, housing improvement and basic public services construction. The city also has carried out other innovative poverty alleviation and social assistance, he added.