Chinese Government Decides to Subsidize All Rural Poor – Xinhua

From People’s Daily Online:

China’s State Council, or the cabinet, on Wednesday held an executive meeting on expanding a rural subsistence allowances system that will satisfy the rural poor’s minimum requirements for living.

The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, decided to cover all needy people in rural areas across the country under the allowance program, including the aged, the disabled and those who are unable to work.

China has 23.65 million rural poor, with annual per capita income lower than 683 yuan (87.6 US dollars), by the end of 2005, 5.62 million less than in 2001, according to data from the State Council Leading Group of the Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. [Full Text]