Xi to honor role models in poverty relief campaign

President Xi Jinping will attend a grand gathering in Beijing on Thursday to mark the country's poverty alleviation accomplishments and honor units and outstanding individuals who have made key contributions.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will present awards and certificates to national honorary title recipients for their contributions to the poverty alleviation cause. He will also deliver an important speech.

China has lifted close to 100 million people out of poverty over the past eight years. In doing so, it met its target of helping all rural residents living below the current poverty line to move beyond such conditions, ensuring the elimination of poverty in all poor counties and regions by 2020.

Meanwhile, a policy paper issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, also known as the No 1 central document of the year, stressed the need to align efforts to consolidate poverty alleviation outcomes and promote vitalization of rural areas.

The country will refine its dynamic monitoring and aid mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of poverty and guard against the risk of large numbers of people falling under the poverty line once again, the document said.

The event will be broadcast live by China Media Group and on xinhuanet.com. It will also be simultaneously rebroadcast on major news websites.