Xinjiang to invest in poorest areas

URUMQI -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has unveiled a three-year poverty-relief plan to help its 22 poorest counties.

Under the plan, more than 400,000 local people and 94,000 households will be lifted out of poverty within the year.

As part of China's national objective to eliminate absolute poverty by 2020 to create a "moderately prosperous society in all respects," Xinjiang's regional government is determined to help 22 counties in Kashgar, Hotan, Kizilsu and Aksu prefectures to shake off poverty.

Of the 6.1 billion yuan ($964 million) anti-poverty fund allocated by the regional government in 2017, over 80 percent reached those four prefectures.

Under the new plan, officials will be sent to 192 areas in the 22 counties and stay there until 2020, with 144 volunteers assisting the anti-poverty work.

Earlier this year, the regional government issued a poverty-relief plan to employ 100,000 destitute people in the four prefectures by 2020.

The four prefectures are located in southern Xinjiang.