Poverty Levels Mean Meeting Well-Off Society Goal 'Will Be Difficult'

(Beijing) – China must cut the portion of its population living in extreme poverty by an average of more than 11 million people every year from 2015 to 2020 to meet the ruling Communist Party's goal of building a moderately well-off society by the end of the decade, says a government official, but doing that will be difficult.

"Absent special and significant measures, it will be very difficult to complete the task," Hong Tianyun, deputy director of the Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development under the State Council, said at a press conference on October 12.