President confident of achieving poverty relief goal

Despite the influence of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the country's economy, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that he was confident of achieving the goal of eliminating poverty in China by the end of this year.

While visiting a community in the town of Laoxian in Shaanxi province's Pingli county, Xi instructed local officials to make substantial efforts to promote employment so that the people will have a stable life.

"I am confident of largely achieving the goal of poverty eradication this year. What concerns me more is whether the situation can be stabilized after this year, or whether there is a long-term mechanism," Xi said.

Xi's trip to the region started on Monday with ecological preservation and poverty alleviation on top of the agenda.

Only through stable employment can locals live a prosperous life, Xi told the family of Wang Xianping. Wang's family is among 1,346 households in the community that have been relocated from hilly areas prone to geological disasters or poverty-stricken areas.

Xi stressed down-to-earth efforts facilitating employment, warning against any practice of formalism.

"The Chinese Communists are truth-seeking and pragmatic, and they make sure that the people can obtain real benefits," said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The places Xi visited are located in the Qinling-Bashan mountainous region, one of China's 14 contiguous areas of extreme poverty, which are the "hardest nut to crack" in the final rush for poverty relief.

Across China, more than 9.6 million poor people have been relocated to more habitable areas over the past few years as part of the country's poverty alleviation efforts.

According to the agenda set by Xi, China will lift all rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty by the end of this year.

While presiding over a symposium on securing the decisive victory in poverty alleviation last month, Xi instructed the country's officials to work hard to overcome the influences of the pandemic and strive for the fulfillment of the poverty elimination goal.

While visiting a tea plantation in Pingli county, Xi told the farmers that tea is the way for them to achieve prosperity and they should "do well in the industry".

He also went to a primary school in the county, where he told the students to become psychologically and physically strong.