The first recipients of the China Poverty Eradication Award were named on Sunday at a ceremony marking the 12th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The awards were inaugurated to encourage more citizens, private industry and nongovernmental organizations to contribute to the fight against poverty.

The international day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and to remind people of the continued need to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015.

In China, the honors were given to 18 institutions and individuals who have made outstanding contributions in this field. They include the World Bank, which has provided loans to China, and a businessman in Zhejiang Province who has donated more than 5 million yuan (US$604,000). Ninety-year-old Bai Fangli, who helped poor university students with his pension and the money he earned carrying passengers in his pedicab, also won an award.

The awards will be presented every two years.

Many other countries have independent charity and welfare institutions, but in China the government has traditionally been responsible for the poverty-relief efforts.

From 1978 to 2003, China reduced the number of people living below the poverty line from 250 million to 29 million. The ratio of disadvantaged people to the total rural population dropped from 30.7 percent to 3.1 percent.

In recent years, nongovernmental agencies have been playing an increasingly important role in fighting poverty. They operate such programs as Project Hope, an educational assistance program; the Glorious Cause, which assists people opening private businesses in underdeveloped regions; and Project Happiness, which helps poverty-stricken mothers.

Nevertheless, China still has 29 million people living in extreme poverty, meaning they earned less than 625 yuan (US$75) each year. If the standard is raised by just 200 yuan (US$24), the number of people living in abject poverty more than triples to 90 million.

At the Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction in Shanghai earlier this year, China's government expressed its determination to fight poverty. In a written statement, it said that China will consistently advance its poverty alleviation policies. It will continue helping its underprivileged people to live a relatively affluent life before 2020 and share the benefits of the country's rapid social and economic growth.

China will also promote its national strategy of developing the western and northeastern regions.

Also on Sunday, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, and All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce signed an agreement to work together in encouraging private enterprises to participate in the poverty elimination campaign.

The two institutions will map out policies to encourage private-sector enterprises to provide training or jobs for underprivileged people. The first trial projects will be launched in Bijie Prefecture, Guizhou Province, and Nanchong Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2004)