Plans announced to lift over 200 villages from poverty

Beijing aims to increase the per-capita disposable income of 680, 000 low-income households, with the aim of lifting 234 villages out of poverty by 2020, according to a new strategic plan released on Thursday by the city's development and reform commission.

The Beijing Rural Rejuvenation Strategic Plan (2018-2022) aims to plan for rural development, including encouraging economic growth, improving living environments, and increasing employment and cultural diversity.

Along with measures to help low-income households, Beijing will improve infrastructure in rural areas. Each town for example will own at least one public kindergarten, as well as one community healthcare center.

More than 450 rural stations will also be established to take care of the elderly in rural areas by 2022, and, special dining cars for older people will be established to provide food daily.

A forest wetland will also be built in the capital to improve the rural ecological environment, said Wang Yingjie, deputy director of the Beijing Development and Reform Commission. "It's also a way to enlarge the green space to establish a better ecological landscape system."

Forest area in the capital will be increased by 64, 298 hectares, equivalent to more than 220 Summer Palaces, the plan said.