Women take part in an embroidery class in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner to learn how to decorate clothes, slippers and pillowcases with traditional designs. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Government-run embroidery classes are among the measures being used to raise living standards, as Cui Jia reports from Beijing with Yuan Hui in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Mu Dan is proud that she can now produce all kinds of traditional Mongolian embroidery, much as her mother did. Even better, the 40-year-old farmer in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is excited that her newly developed skills can lift her family out of poverty.

The banner, a county-level settlement, lies at the north of the grassland in Horqin, and 86 percent of its population hails from the Mongolian ethnic group. Horqin means "archer" in Mongolian.

The area is affected by severe desertification and a fragile environment, which means that farmers such as Mu are constantly concerned that their land will be hit by natural disasters that could leave them destitute and starving.

After years of problems, the banner was placed on a list of areas of the most poverty-stricken places in the country.

However, as a result of initiatives promoted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of China, the list won't exist after 2020 because all the residents who live below the current poverty line, including Mu, will be lifted out of poverty by then.

"Ensuring that poor people and impoverished areas will enter the 'moderately prosperous' society along with the rest of the country is a solemn promise made by our Party," Xi said, when he delivered a report to the 19th CPC National Congress on Wednesday.

He added that poverty alleviation measures should reach the people who truly need them and must deliver genuine outcomes.

In June, at a conference to discuss poverty alleviation measures and solutions with top officials from impoverished areas, including Horqin, Xi said lifting people out of poverty is one of the tasks to which he has devoted the most attention.

During the first five years of his term as president, Xi has visited the 14 poorest parts of the country, and more than 30 of his 50-plus investigative visits nationwide have been related to poverty relief.

The task is a formidable one. Winning the battle in areas of extreme poverty will be difficult, but with enough determination and the right measures, China can secure that victory, he said.

Mu, from the banner, explained how the local conditions have pushed her family into poverty. "In a good year, my husband and I can earn about 20,000 yuan a year by selling our crops. However, Inner Mongolia experienced a severe drought last year so we almost had no income," she said.

Residents with an interest in horses have been encouraged to start equine-related businesses in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner to boost their income. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Tailored measures

In December, she began taking embroidery classes arranged by the local government as a part of a targeted poverty relief strategy. At the classes, she was taught how to decorate clothes, slippers and pillowcases with traditional embroidery. When complete, the items are sold online.

The classes are part of the government's plan to make decisive progress in poverty alleviation. Every person living in poverty is now offered a tailor-made poverty relief plan designed to suit their family circumstances, personal skills and even their interests.

Because Mongolians are passionate about horses and many learn to ride as children, the banner's authorities decided to create jobs by developing the equine industry. In addition to breeding horses, young Mongolians are encouraged to become skilled riders and take part in races nationwide.

Xi first raised the idea of the targeted poverty relief in November 2013 when he visited a village in Huayuan, a county in the central province of Hunan.

In June 2015, he explained the philosophy behind the strategy and its basic requirements while presiding at a CPC symposium on poverty relief and economic and social development in Guizhou province.

Starting in 2014, before the tailor-made plans were drafted, the authorities conducted detailed surveys and registration work. The surveys identified 29.48 million poverty-stricken families, 89.62 million poor people and 128,000 impoverished villages, while pinpointing their distribution, examining the sources of their poverty and determining the measures required to raise living standards.

The measures used in Horqin are perfect for Mu. "Embroidery is part of our ethnic group's heritage, I really enjoy doing it. I used to watch my mother doing it when I was age 4. I've made more than 5,000 yuan in the last six months," she said.

The 2,600 women, including Mu, who were registered as poor and encouraged to join embroidery workshops earned an average of 2,000 yuan each between April and August, providing extra income for their families. The highest earner made 8,000 yuan.

Now, 50 university graduates from the banner have established an association to help the women sell their embroidered products via the internet and mobile applications.

"We can sell 150 to 200 pairs of slippers a day online. We expect online sales to rise in the future and the annual incomes of these hardworking women could reach between 5,000 and 8,000 yuan next year," said Fu Lin, head of the association. "Every yuan counts in poverty alleviation."

E-commerce network

The country's fast-growing e-commerce network is playing an important role in the latest round of poverty alleviation measures. Last year, online sales of products from poverty-stricken counties reached 29 trillion yuan, four times higher than five years ago.

The determination and scale of the poverty alleviation projects launched after the 18th CPC National Congress at the end of 2012 is unprecedented, according to Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development.

From 2013 to 2016, the number of people living in poverty fell from 99 million to 43.36 million, and more than 10 million people will be lifted out of poverty this year, Liu said.

An average 13 million people have been lifted above the poverty line in each of the past five years.

From 1986 to 2000, the figure was about 6.4 million, while it was 6.7 million from 2001 to 2010. In addition, the poverty head count ratio has fallen from 10.2 percent to less than 4 percent since 2012.

During the same period, 28 counties have dropped the unglamorous "poverty-stricken" title, and more are expected to follow suit this year. For the first time in history, the number of poverty-stricken counties is falling, according to Liu.

"The number of people being lifted out of poverty annually actually began to fall before the latest poverty alleviation approaches were put in place," he said.

When he outlined the relief measures in 2014, Xi cited the key approaches as industrial development, relocation, environmental protection, education, social welfare and financial and medical support from the government.

He also encouraged financial input from industries and social forces, saying the social welfare system should provide basic living standards for the impoverished and unemployed.

In a letter of congratulation to the 2017 Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum on Beijing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke highly of China's poverty alleviation achievements, saying that targeted alleviation measures are the only way to help the poorest in society and to achieve the major goals of the organization's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, and its experience can offer valuable lessons to other developing countries, he added.

Obstacles remain

China's western areas have achieved the best results in poverty alleviation, the number of impoverished people has been halved in five years, but the West and a number of areas with large ethnic populations－including the Tibet autonomous region and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region－remain the biggest obstacles to achieving the goal of lifting the remaining 43.36 million people out of poverty on schedule.

At present, about 39 percent of the 281,800 people in Pishan county, Hotan prefecture, southern Xinjiang, live below the poverty line.

The county, designated a place of "extreme poverty" lies next to the Taklimakan Desert, the largest arid area in the country, and about 99 percent of its population hails from ethnic groups, including Uygurs, Tajiks and Kyrgyzs.

"Although reaching the poverty relief target is extremely challenging as a result of the historical, social and environmental factors in the county, there is no excuse for us not achieving the goal along with the rest of the country," said Ahmet Memet, Party chief of Pishan who is also a delegate at the congress, on Thursday.

After undertaking detailed analysis of the causes of poverty by visiting every impoverished household, the county authorities decided to help local people to raise the quality and output of agricultural produce, such as walnuts and dates, and improve water conservation facilities.

People living in harsh environments are also offered the opportunity to relocate.

"We fully respect their choices and make sure those who are willing to move can find new careers," said Ahmet Memet.

He added that more than 57,740 people were lifted out poverty in Pishan between 2012 and last year.

Future problems

However, despite the progress made, the task is likely to become more difficult across the country.

"It will be more costly and difficult to move forward," said Liu, from the State Council Leading Group Office.

He added that a small number of officials in the worst-affected areas had succumbed to the pressure and falsified some statistics relating to the progress of poverty alleviation programs.

Speaking in June, Xi said the country will adopt a strict appraisal system for poverty alleviation measures, and officials who forge statistics or misuse funds intended for poverty relief will be severely punished.

He added that no matter how much assistance is provided, it won't make a difference if people lack motivation and are not willing to lift themselves out of poverty. "Leaning against the wall and sunbathing while waiting for the good life to be delivered is unacceptable," he said.

When he delivered his report on Wednesday, Xi stressed the role education plays in the eradication of poverty.

"We will pay particular attention to helping people gain greater confidence in their ability to lift themselves out of poverty and ensure that they have access to the education they need to do so," he said.

Back in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner, Mu has become a trainer at the embroidery workshop, earning an extra 100 yuan a day by teaching other women.

"In addition to making more money, I have become more confident. I believe I can tackle more difficult patterns now," she said, with an optimistic smile.