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AGRICULTURE IN CHINA 13
12. Anti-Poverty Campaign Since the mid-1980s, the Chinese government has launched a number of well-planned and well-organized poverty alleviation actions. To support these actions, the government has issued a series of policies on poverty alleviation. With the promotion of the government and active participation of all circles of society, China has made remarkable achievements in this aspect. In 1978, there were 250 million of poor population in rural China, and the incidence (the proportion of rural poor population to the total rural population) of poverty was up to 30.7 percent. In 2003, this figure declined to 29 million, or 220 million less than 1978; and the incidence of poverty was 3 percent or almost 28 percentage points lower than 1978. As a result, the infrastructure, working and living conditions in poverty-stricken areas have been improved to a great deal. These poor areas have also witnessed a rapid progress in science, technology, education and public health. Now, China has promulgated the Poverty Alleviation and Development Program in Rural China, 2001-2010, which defines the general targets of anti-poverty campaign for the first ten year of the 21century. The policies and measures in this respect include adhering to the principle of poverty alleviation through development, reinforcing the financial support to poverty-stricken areas through increasing allocation of financial resources to all aspects, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of fund use, reinforcing infrastructure, facilitating the faster growth of education, culture and public health undertakings, expanding food for work projects, strengthening the development of rural roads, facilities for drinking water for people and animals, basic farmland and small-scale water conservancy facilities to improve working and living conditions in the poor areas, and creating proper conditions for migration of those who live in extremely adverse living environments. Progress in Anti-Poverty Campaign | Year | Total Population (10 000) | Poverty line (yuan/person) | Poor population (10 000) | Rural poverty incidence (%) | | 1978 | 96 259 | 100 | 25 000 | 30.7 | | 1980 | 98 705 | … | … | … | | 1985 | 105 851 | 206 | 12 500 | 14.8 | | 1990 | 114 333 | 300 | 8 500 | 9.4 | | 1995 | 121 121 | 530 | 6 540 | 7.1 | | 2000 | 126 583 | 625 | 3 209 | 3.4 | | 2002 | 128 453 | 627 | 2 820 | 3.0 | | 2003 | 129 227 | 637 | 2 900 | 3.0 | |
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