CHINESE people have been urged to pull together to defeat poverty, particularly in rural areas, to consolidate the successes of the country’s battle to raise living standards.

“It is the essential requirement of socialism to eradicate poverty, improve the people’s livelihood and achieve common prosperity,” Chinese President Xi Jinping says in an article published today.

The hardest and most arduous tasks lie in the rural areas, he explains in the piece, which is based on a speech delivered during his visit to Fuping County of north China’s Hebei province earlier this month.

In December 2020 China declared victory in the fight against absolute poverty, claiming nearly 100 million have been lifted out of extreme material deprivation after eight years of struggle.

Mr Xi says that Communist Party organisations are essential in poverty alleviation work and “should become the backbone, leading villagers to shake off poverty and strive for a better life.”

“The fundamental purpose of the party is to serve the people,” he said, adding that “cadres at all levels should often ask themselves whether they have been wholeheartedly working for the people.”

Beijing’s efforts at alleviating poverty have contributed to its economic strength, with China the only major economy experiencing economic growth in 2020.