Beijing Youth Daily:

Just now, Ms. Shen noted that Guizhou has the country's highest number of people moving out of poverty and being relocated from inhospitable areas. Nevertheless, we also acknowledge that some areas and people that have been lifted out of poverty still suffer from weak foundations and poor self-development abilities. Therefore, it is still an arduous task to prevent them from slipping back into impoverishment. What will Guizhou do next to consolidate the progress being made in poverty alleviation and to promote rural vitalization? Thank you.

Shen Yiqin:

Thank you for your attention to Guizhou's progress on poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. I'll take your questions.

It is a hard-won achievement for Guizhou to eradicate poverty. We owe what we have achieved to the care and support of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, the dedication and tireless efforts of our officials and people, and the firm support from paired-up provinces and cities in eastern China, the CPC and government departments, as well as all sectors of society. People in Guizhou will always remain grateful to the care of the CPC Central Committee and bear in mind the great support from all parties and sectors.

Poverty eradication is not the end, but the starting point for a new life and new endeavors. Poverty alleviation was once a formidable task in Guizhou, and the task of advancing and expanding the results of poverty eradication is equally difficult now. We must grasp the consolidation and expansion of the results of poverty alleviation as much as the battle against poverty, and resolutely guard the bottom line of preventing people from slipping back into poverty on a large scale. First, we are working to ensure the consistency of policies. We must take due responsibility for counties lifted out of poverty, meanwhile ensuring them consistent poverty alleviation policies, assistance, and supervision. The policy of the five-year transition period should be fully carried out to ensure the overall stability of supportive policies in the fields of fiscal resources, financial services, the use of land, and talents. We will continue to provide stronger industrial and employment support, and implement follow-up assistance policies to people relocated from inhospitable areas. Second, we are strictly carrying out all of our responsibilities. Party secretaries of the province as well as its cities, counties, towns, and villages will work together. Meanwhile, two parallel registration systems will continue to be used respectively by the provincial government's direct affiliates and local authorities, in a bid to hold both of them accountable for poverty alleviation works and possible misconducts. This ensures effective leadership and that every responsibility has been taken. Third, the efforts being made in this regard will stay consistent. To ensure the orderly and stable transmission of assistance works, we will continue to dispatch outstanding officials to villages lifted out of poverty and relocation sites for poverty alleviation. So far, a total of 32,175 officials in Guizhou have been dispatched to rural areas to serve as the first Party branch secretaries or village-based cadres. We have also set up 10,035 village-based working teams for rural vitalization. Fourth, we are working to ensure that no one is left behind in consolidating the progress of poverty alleviation. A comprehensive reviewing campaign was launched throughout Guizhou to continuously check the change of people's incomes, the situations concerning the basic living needs of rural poor population and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and housing, as well as safe drinking water supplies. Relevant problems will be quickly solved once spotted, so as to eliminate poverty amid dynamical adjustment.

To comprehensively promote rural vitalization reflects the historic adjustment of China's focus concerning issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and rural people. We have adopted a categorized approach which takes local conditions fully into consideration. In light of different poverty-alleviation foundations, geographic conditions, and resource advantages, we grouped all the counties in Guizhou into three categories: model counties for rural vitalization, key-work-in-progress counties and counties in the starting phase. Provincial government officials will work to develop these counties and make new progress in rural vitalization. 

First, we will focus on the industrial side. We continue to promote typical industries which utilize local agricultural strength. We are working to establish industrial systems, production systems, and operation systems for modern agriculture, and developing a group of industrial clusters based on local agricultural advantages, in a bid to build Guizhou's strength in developing modern and efficient mountain farming. 

Second, we will focus on developing beautiful rural environments. We are doubling our efforts to carry out the rural construction campaign and continuing to comprehensively improve rural living environments. We will also work to address weaknesses in sewage and garbage treatment, meanwhile effectively preserving traditional village sites, households, and historical villages and towns of cultural significance, so as to better protect the lucid waters and lush mountains in our rural areas.

Third, we are making sound governance efforts. We are strengthening primary-level Party organizations, dispatching outstanding officials to serve as Party secretaries in villages, and further developing the collective economy at the village level. We are also working to improve rural governance, promote cultural and ethical progress in rural areas, and see the back of outdated social customs. By doing so, a civilized rural atmosphere with sound household manners and simple and honest people is being established, which continuously encourages the public to develop civilized rural environments and seek for happier lives.

Guizhou's performance in fighting against poverty has been excellent. I believe it will also do a good job in consolidating the achievements being made in poverty alleviation and promoting rural vitalization in an all-round manner. Thank you.

Mr. Chen mentioned earlier that this was the last question for today. I would like to take this opportunity and express my gratitude to the relevant parties. First, I want to thank the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for providing such a great platform for us to introduce vibrant Guizhou to you. I also want to thank our friends from the media for their consistent care, support and publicity efforts for Guizhou. "Travelling throughout the scenery in China, you will be overwhelmed by the varied beauty of Guizhou." Guizhou is a natural park, an oxygen bar, an air conditioner, a treasure house, as well as a family for ethnic coexistence. We sincerely invite everyone to visit Guizhou and enjoy its beauty, coolness and comfort. We are waiting for you! Thank you!

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all the speakers and all of our friends from the media. Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Huang Shan, Zhang Jiaqi, He Shan, Wang Yiming, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Wang Yanfang, Duan Yaying, Li Huiru, Qin Qi, Huang Shan, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Zhu Bochen, Wang Yanfang, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.