As October 17 marks the World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty, the winners of the 2nd China Awards for Overcoming Poverty were revealed at the Great Hall of the People Tuesday in Beijing.
Vice Premier Hui Liangyu attended the ceremony, as he called for more efforts to be made to alleviate poverty in China.
CRI reporter Shen Ting has the details.
 Heyuan is one of the poorest cities in south China's Guangdong Province, but it has a plan. The poverty alleviation project in the city seeks to solve the problem of more than 1,600 of its villages lacking a collective income. The project supports villages to raise funds to build workshops in the city's high-tech development zone to then rent out, so as to ensure a reliable income for the villages every year. This innovative approach has helped Heyuan win this year's Policy Award for Overcoming Poverty.
Deng Youlai, Director of the Poverty Alleviation Office of Heyuan, says the project aims at helping poor villages get on the track of sustainable development.
"In the past, our policies were usually to put money into these villages, while this policy is a productive one. With the income they gain every year, the villages can undertake social programs for their residents and help them step out of poverty."
Together with Heyuan's Poverty Alleviation Office, nine other recipients were awarded in twelve categories, honoring life achievement, institutions, projects, creativity, volunteers, donations, struggles, and so on.
Chen Kaizhi, Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee for the Awards, as well as Deputy Director of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, explains more about the idea behind the awards.
"Poverty alleviation not only needs conscious and enthusiastic efforts, but also science and technology. It also needs a scientific view. Our awards cover various aspects of poverty alleviation, and are concerned with both governmental and non-governmental organizations, international and domestic institutions, the public and celebrities."
Making poverty alleviation a priority, China has been carrying out planned and systematic poverty relief programs for twenty years, ever since 1986. Over time the country has worked out a characteristically Chinese way to go about poverty elimination.
The number of those living below the poverty line was reduced from 125 million in 1985 to less than 24 million by the end of 2005. The problems of a lack of food and clothing have now been basically solved among the country's rural population.
Although the achievements China has made in poverty alleviation have won recognition from all over the world, the country still has a long way to go to completely reduce and overcome poverty. Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called upon more efforts to be made in the field during the 2nd China Awards for Overcoming Poverty ceremony.
"We must enhance the ability of self-accumulation and self-development in poverty-stricken areas by improving local infrastructure, adjusting the industrial structure and making good use of local resources. We will also try our best to promote the development of social undertakings in these areas by publicizing primary school education, establishing a new rural medical system and implementing a basic life insurance system."
Hui Liangyu said poverty alleviation in China remains a tough and difficult task. Considering this, the establishment of the China Awards for Overcoming Poverty is playing an important and active role in promoting more participation from all walks of society in the undertaking.
Shen Ting, CRI news.
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