China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), China's largest non-governmental anti-poverty organization, plans to hold a charity banquet on Feb. 1 next year to raise money for the poor at the Great Hall of the People.

The banquet will be held before China's Spring Festival which falls on Feb. 9, and some state leaders are expected to be invited to the banquet, said Liu Wenkui, deputy secretary-general of CFPA.

The money to be raised will be spent on vocational training for the youth from poverty-stricken areas and awarding those who have contributed to poverty relief.

Elite members from all walks of life are welcome to the banquet, but they will have to offer admission fees, Liu said.

The foundation will issue seven kinds of tickets with face values ranging from 1,800 yuan (US$216.87) to 38,000 yuan (US$4,578).

Due to accommodation capacity, about 3,500 to 4,000 tickets will be issued at most and the foundation plans to hold such Spring Festival charity banquets once a year from 2005 to 2007, Liu said.

Founded in 1989, the foundation has helped take in more social funds to fight against poverty and thus ease government burden in poverty alleviation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2004)