Chongqing-  Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has carried out targeted poverty alleviation by multiple measures such as industrial development, intellectual support, and consumption, according to Thursday's press conference.

A press conference to brief the latest poverty alleviation developments takes place in southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality on December 31, 2020. (iChongqing/ James Alexander)

Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2017, Chongqing has invested a total of nearly 4.4 billion yuan (USD 673 million) into poverty alleviation, with a focus on 18 highly impoverished townships and 33 villages.

Measures taken by the United Front Work Department of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee has been to consolidate responsibility for poverty alleviation. There have been various methods adopted to vigorously enhance the level of publicity and education whilst strengthening the awareness to tackle tough problems both in theory and action.

In Wuxi County, the townships of Tianyuan, Hongchiba, and Tianxing are no longer classified as impoverished according to current standards.

Wang Qing, Executive Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, said that efforts have been afforded to providing advantages and resources so that underdeveloped areas can build up ecological agriculture, livestock, and rural tourism, with the strong support of poverty alleviation drives.

For example, the Chongqing Federation of Industry and Commerce has guided 2,299 private enterprises to invest 3.197 billion yuan into poverty alleviation. 

Talent pools have been played to great advantage in the drive for poverty alleviation. " We have also made full use of platforms such as the China Vocational Education Association to guide more vocational training institutions to enter poverty-stricken areas to carry out professional technical training and help poor people improve their professional skills," said Li Dian, Vice Minister and Spokesperson of the United Front Work Department of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee.

Close attention has been paid to the health sector to resolve the issue of medical treatment and related expenses for poor households. Private enterprises carried out a one-year assistance program for impoverished areas with an estimated 60.69 million yuan investment.