CNPC vows to ramp up efforts in poverty-stricken areas

China National Petroleum Corp, the nation's largest oil and gas producer by domestic annual output, has pledged to continue to invest in poverty-stricken regions to help lift people out of poverty.

The company has invested 890 million yuan ($128 million) in 850 poverty relief projects in 16 regions across seven provinces and regions nationwide since 1994, including Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region.

CNPC has taken advantage of its nationwide gas station network to boost sales of agricultural and ancillary products from poverty-stricken regions, according to Wang Yilin, chairman of CNPC.