A senior Chinese official said in Davos, Switzerland Saturday that China would strengthen efforts on poverty reduction, adding that it is a strong commitment of the Chinese government to its people and the UN's Millennium Development Goals. 

Liu Jian, director of the State Council's Leading Group for Aid-the-Poor Development, told the annual meeting of World Economic Forum that many challenges exist despite the remarkable achievements the country has made during the past 20-odd years.

Addressing a session dedicated to China's economy, Liu said the majority of China's poor population lives in rural areas due to historical reasons. In 1978, China had 250 million poor people, representing a poverty incidence of 30 percent.

With 25-year unremitting efforts, the poor areas have witnessed significant improvements in their production and living conditions, and the number of inadequately fed and clothed poor has declined to around 30 million, representing a poverty incidence of 3 percent.

Liu said China has explored out a poverty reduction road adapted to the Chinese reality in the poverty reduction and development process.

China also attaches great importance to the exchanges and collaboration with international organizations on poverty reduction.

"We hope the developed countries would answer the call for fighting poverty in the world and make concrete efforts to this end by increasing aid and trade to the developing countries," Liu stressed.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2005)