China Bends A Bit For Anti-poverty Project

From Reuters:

A pilot project with a difference is making a dent in rural poverty and, more significantly, giving villagers a voice in the development of a pocket of southern China bypassed by the country’s economic boom.

What sets the scheme apart is that public funds to tackle poverty are being channelled through non-governmental organisations, a first in China.

In a country where NGOs have long been regarded with suspicion, this is nothing short of a seismic shift, according to the Asian Development Bank, which is meeting their overheads with a modest grant.

By sanctioning the project, Beijing is displaying the pragmatism that is a hallmark of its economic management.