At a recent news conference, Zheng Wenkai, deputy director of China’s State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOPA), announced the results of a survey on poverty in China. At the end of 2013, more than 82 million people lived below the poverty line.
According to Zheng, the level established to determine poverty in China was set at an annual income of 2300 yuan (US$376). If poverty were measured by the international standard of US$1.25 per day (US$456), the number of Chinese living in poverty would jump to more than 200 million.
Zheng said that poverty is still a prominent problem in China. It is reflected first in the number of poor people, numbering 82 million. Second, these poor people also face other difficulties, including drinking water, transportation, electricity, schooling, medical care, and loans. Lastly, the poor are concentrated in destitute regions with poor living conditions, frequent natural disasters, and backward infrastructures.
Source: Voice of America, October 16, 2014
http://www.voachinese.com/content/Chinese-survive-20141016/2485584.html