BEIJING — Vice-Premier Wang Yang on Dec 12 urged local governments to implement central government measures on poverty alleviation.

Wang, head of the State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development, told a meeting that the country’s poverty relief got off to a good start this year, but more must be done in 2017, a significant year in China’s fight against poverty.

China aims to eliminate poverty by 2020 when its 13th Five-Year Plan is completed. As of the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people living in poverty.

According to a poverty alleviation plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) released by the central government earlier this month, China continues to carry out its precision-poverty relief measures while implementing regional development strategies.

Wang stressed industrial development and employment as important ways to create development momentum for the poor. He also pledged to strengthen supervision and increase spending in poverty alleviation with better management of funds.