China has released a three-year action plan to end extreme poverty by 2020, it was announced at a State Council press conference on Aug 20.

China has set out to lift a further 30 million people out of poverty in the next three years, having already removed tens of millions in recent decades.

“In the next three years, we should enhance our targeted alleviation measures from each village, each family to each individual,” said Han Jun, deputy director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group. “Targeted solutions include developing industries, pushing forward the employment and housing relocation, and better preserving the ecological system. Meanwhile, the infrastructure construction needs to be continued in transportation, the internet, electricity and water conservancy.”

Ou Qingping, deputy director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, added, “For those who are unable to work, we have tuned our development-oriented policy to the combination of development and security. This doesn’t mean we only provide them with basic living allowances … But we will establish better medical insurance and treatment, charity, and guarantee their housing security by relocation.”

The poorest should be guaranteed food and clothing and children from poor families should be guaranteed nine years of compulsory education. Basic medical needs and living conditions of the poor should also be guaranteed, according to guidelines released a day ahead of the press conference.

The guidelines said relief work should be focused on areas in deep poverty, such as Tibet, mountainous Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province and Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province.

Other poverty alleviation measures, including accelerating infrastructure construction in poor areas, providing fiscal and financial support, and social mobilization in poverty reduction, are also listed in the guidelines.