The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 840,000 -US-dollar technical assistance (TA) grant to China to develop an innovative plan to reduce poverty and protect the unique cultures of 22 of its smallest ethnic minority groups.

The plan will target 600,000 people living in western, border, mountainous, grassland and forest areas that include some of the poorest regions in China, the ADB said Friday in a statement.

As well as examining the situation of each minority group and building a strategy to tackle the main poverty problems, the TA will formulate activities to be funded and implemented by the Government. It also includes training for villagers, local government officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

This is the first time that the ADB is involved in a significant planning exercise for poor minorities that addresses cultural protection.

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