BEIJING, March 17 -- Over four million rural residents in eight ethnic minority autonomous regions and provinces escaped poverty last year, said a forum on poverty relief hosted by Minzu University of China on Friday.

The total poor population in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan and Qinghai, has dropped to 14.1 million from 2015's 18.1 million.

According to the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the central government spent about 28 billion yuan (4 billion U.S. dollars) on poverty alleviation in the eight autonomous regions and provinces last year, up 39.8 percent, accounting for 41.9 percent of the total poverty alleviation funds.

Zhang Lijun, president of the school of economics of Minzu University of China, said ethnic regions are the most difficult in China's war against poverty, and still need more targeted policies.