Some senior officials in Jilin province spent their first working day of the new year, Jan 4, going around to rural areas to show their commitment to getting people out of poverty, according to Jilin Daily, with services being the major focus.

Jiang Chaoliang, Jilin's governor, went to the city of Baicheng to visit the home of Liu Zhicai, who has to care for a son who is mentally retarded, and encouraged Liu by saying, "You may want to get more money through animal husbandry, and we certainly will help you. You'll have a better life."

Jiang Chaoliang, Jilin governor, in Baicheng to look at poverty reduction in a village. [Photo by Jiao Shuman/Jilin Daily]

In the city of Helong, in southeastern part of Jilin, the provincial Party secretary, Bayinchaolu, visited a donkey-breeding company which helps farmers, where he said, "It's good to hear that farmers can increase their incomes in this way" and asked the local government to come up with policies that support the company.

Bayinchaolu, Party secretary, in Longhe, chatting with farmers on poverty reduction solutions.

The officials said they will eradicate poverty and make more people better off as part of the central government's poverty relief effort, and President Xi Jinping's call for governments at all levels to develop more poverty relief in line with the country's plan to get all poor people out of poverty by 2020.