China introduces poverty delisting policy, stressing transparency

BEIJING - China on Thursday introduced a policy to gradually take people, villages and counties off the country's poverty list, part of the country's efforts to eradicate the entrenched poverty.

The process will be strict and transparent and must win the recognition of the people, according to a document jointly published by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

At the end of 2014, China had 70 million people in the countryside living below the nation's poverty line of 2,300 yuan (about 354 U.S. dollars) in annual income. China aims to eliminate poverty by 2020 when its 13th Five-Year Plan is completed.

According to the document, the poverty delisting process should reflect the real situation: Those that are above the standard of "stable" should be delisted while newly-added poor people and those that slip back in poverty should be included so they gain access to poverty relief programs.

Poverty delisting should be open and with complete and trackable paper work, ready for third party assessment and supervision.

The State Council and local governments will carry out regular and random inspections, and should any significant errors arise they will be held responsible, the document read.