China plans to accomplish two poverty reduction targets during the 11th Five-Year Guidelines period (2006-10): securing adequate food and clothing for 23.65 million people and completing poverty relief programs for 148,000 villages.

Liu Jian, head of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, released the information at the 2nd session of the fifth China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) council, April 16 in Beijing.

In 2006 the CFPA would launch a series of poverty cut activities across China, build stronger volunteer organizations and village archives, and award those with distinguished poverty reduction efforts, Liu said.

In 2005, the CFPA totally raised 182 million yuan worth of funds and materials and put in 165 million yuan in relief programs, which directly benefited 493,300 poverty-stricken people.

(People's Daily April 18, 2006)