Yunnan succeeds in eliminating poverty

Over the past decade, Yunnan has achieved great results with helping residents get rid of poverty across the province, officials said on Monday.

"The province won the battle against poverty, lifting all 9.33 million rural residents out of poverty as scheduled," Huang Yunbo, director of the provincial rural revitalization bureau, said at a news conference on Monday. "A total of 88 poverty-stricken counties and 8,502 poverty-stricken villages had escaped poverty, marking a historical moment, eliminating absolute poverty and solving the problem of poverty within the whole region."

The province has also created a series of practical models and typical experiences, with Yunnan characteristics during the process, bringing nationwide influence, he said.

Over the past decade, economic and social development in the province also saw great changes.

The per capita disposable income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas in Yunnan increased from 4,749 yuan ($682.9) in 2012 to 13,027 yuan in 2021, and the per capita net income of poverty-stricken people increased from 2,785 yuan in 2015 to 12,267 yuan in 2021, realizing a historic leap from getting adequate food and clothing, to achieving xiaokang society, a moderately prosperous society in all respects."

Major problems affecting people's daily life in poverty-stricken areas, such as transportation, drinking water, electricity, communication, education, medical care and housing have been solved, according to the provincial government.

"All 8,502 poverty-stricken villages in the province now have access to hardened roads, power and optical fiber networks," said Huang.

"In the future, we will focus on promoting economic development in counties and provide targeted assistance to increase the income of people who have been lifted out of poverty," he said. "We will continue to take all efforts in rural construction, governance and social development, so as to consolidate the achievements we made in poverty alleviation and deliver tangible results in rural revitalization."