China News  
SINO DAILY
China's poverty eradication: what has been achieved?
By Beiyi SEOW
Beijing (AFP) Feb 24, 2021

China claimed last year it had met a long-trumpeted target of lifting all its people out of extreme poverty.

President Xi Jinping heralded a "major victory" that the Chinese Communist Party had wanted to achieve before the centenary of its founding in 2021.

But what do the numbers say?

- What counts as poverty? -

China's poverty line is around $2.30 a day -- slightly above the World Bank's lowest threshold of $1.90 but below what is recommended for measuring higher income countries.

Local officials have gone door-to-door to determine who is impoverished, measuring by income, housing conditions, lack of medical insurance and whether family members drop out of school.

Some families who own cars or large farm equipment were automatically ruled out of consideration, regardless of their other circumstances.

- What has been achieved? -

China has brought over 800 million people out of extreme poverty, said the World Bank, after launching economic reforms in the 1970s.

Its extreme poverty rate fell from 66.3 percent in 1990 to just 0.3 percent in 2018 -- making up for over 60 percent of the decrease in global poverty, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Nearly everyone now completes compulsory schooling, matching the average level across the world's high-income countries, and the UN says the child mortality rate also dived in the last two decades.

"For the vast majority of Chinese, life has dramatically improved in the space of a generation," said World Bank country director Martin Raiser.

- Are China's claims believable? -

Beijing's official statistics are often approached with scepticism, and experts say poverty figures do not tell the whole story.

There have been hundreds of thousands of corruption cases linked to poverty work, says University of Western Ontario economics professor Terry Sicular.

That includes local officials who falsified data by classifying friends and family as poor to receive funding.

China's official poverty line is also low when compared to average household income, Sicular added.

The World Bank recommends the higher benchmark of $5.50 a day to gauge poverty in upper-middle income economies.

Raiser estimates that around 13 percent of China's population still lives on an income below that level.

- Is it sustainable? -

Funding for poverty alleviation is large in absolute terms but also just "a small percentage of government revenue," Sicular says.

After macroeconomic growth helped lift living standards over recent decades, Beijing must now look to newer strategies for those on the cusp of the poverty line, she adds.

In many locations, local governments -- who have largely borne the burden of improving living standards -- are also facing limited fiscal resources.

Many are highly indebted, having invested heavily in infrastructure to tackle poverty, or have benefitted from short-term tax incentives or subsidies.

"Reducing economic vulnerability going forward may require greater focus on investing in skills and helping people move towards higher productivity jobs in the cities," Raiser added.


Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


SINO DAILY
Top Chinese official outlines plan to ensure 'patriots' run Hong Kong
Hong Kong (AFP) Feb 22, 2021
A top Chinese official on Monday outlined plans to ensure only "patriots" run Hong Kong as Beijing seeks to neuter any remaining democratic opposition and take a more direct role in how the business hub is run. The landmark speech by Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, came just two weeks ahead of the annual meeting of China's rubber-stamp legislature as speculation grows that further measures are being planned to sew up control of the city. "The most vital and pressing ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SINO DAILY
Chinese tracking vessel sets sail for monitoring missions in Indian Ocean

China's 'space dream': A Long March to the Moon and beyond

Three generations dedicated to space program

China's space station core module, cargo craft pass factory review

SINO DAILY
After record Hong Kong property sale, what else will $59m get you?

WTO to rule on US ban on 'Made in Hong Kong' label

Canada rejects argument Trump 'poisoned' Chinese exec's extradition case

EU to push greener trade policy, WTO reform

SINO DAILY
SINO DAILY
U.S. Navy ship sails by China-claimed islands in South China Sea

Russian fighters intercept French jets over Black Sea

Biden renews 'Quad' with allies despite Beijing pressure

New Pentagon chief to reassure NATO allies

SINO DAILY
Plant as superhero during nuclear power plant accidents

Framatome and Wroclaw University of Technology train the next generation of nuclear professionals

NERC Compliance Teams stay up-to-date on critical industry news with Certrec GRC Data Platforms

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy announces formation of Canadian SMR Business

SINO DAILY
Anti-coup hackers target Myanmar govt sites as protesters jam Yangon roads

Digital warfare: Myanmar's cyber crackdown explained

Cambodia sets up China-style internet firewall

Estonian spies warn China wants 'silenced world'

SINO DAILY
Plant as superhero during nuclear power plant accidents

Framatome and Wroclaw University of Technology train the next generation of nuclear professionals

NERC Compliance Teams stay up-to-date on critical industry news with Certrec GRC Data Platforms

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy announces formation of Canadian SMR Business

SINO DAILY
BP enters UK offshore wind sector

Denmark moves forward on North Sea 'energy island'

$43 bn deal for 'world's biggest' offshore wind farm in South Korea

Magnora enters partnership to establish floating wind company









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.