1. China: Poverty Reduction Strategy for Block Area
Dr.HuangChengwei
(Director General, National Training Center for Officials in Poor Areas, China)
,Brussels

2. Background
Why do we need Poverty Reduction Strategy for Block Area?
What are Poverty Reduction Strategy for Block Area?
What can we Learn from Wuling Mountain Area---One of Block Area?
How to Meet the Challenges?

3. 1. Background
----China’s remarkable rise since the ‘80s,but regional disparity becomes a major concern.
----Meanwhile, China’s poverty reduction gets great achivements,but tasks are still extremely arduous.

4. Increasing inequality:
China’s focus on coastal areas in the East as the drivers of growth caused an increase of the disparities between East and West as well as urban and rural areas.
GDP share of main regions in %
Source: National Bureau of Statistics China

5. Per capita income :
Source: National Bureau of Statistics China

6. Sources of regional disparities:
Source: National Bureau of Statistics China

7. Striking a balance between the regions
Striking a balance between the regions China’s regional division (11th FYP):
Promoting the rise of the Central Region:
Improvement of the level of production, relying on the current industrial basis.
Advancement of industrialisation and urbanisation.
Exerting the advantage of linking East and West.
Increasing the investment into agricultural infrastructure.
Improvement of agricultural products processing.
Creation of a high-quality raw material production base.
Support of the development of machinery and vehicle production.
Establishment of a comprehensive transport and logistics system.
Encouraging the Eastern Region to take lead in development
Increasing innovative capacity.
Pioneer economic transformation/upgrading.
Piloting the refining of a social market economy.
Mobilisation of the Central and Western regions.
Creation of intellectual property, core technologies and top brands.
Development of modern manufacturing, high-tech and service industries.
Enhancement of international competitiveness.
Promotion of resource and land use efficiency as well as environmental protection.
Support the development of old revolutionary areas, ethnic minority regions and border areas:
Increasing the financial transfers and fiscal investments.
Protection of the environment.
Improvement of infrastructure.
Enhancement of compulsory schooling, nationalities’ higher education, pilot bilingual education.
Creation of communities of traditional culture.
Improvement if the HR capacities of ethnic minorities.
Development of special industries, e.g. ethnic medical industry.
Resolving poverty problem.
Continuing policy support for Tibet and Xinjiang.
Advancing the development of the Western Region:
Intensification of regional cooperation.
Reliance on pole cities and main transport lines as stimulators.
Improvement of infrastructure (roads, railways, pipelines).
Environmental protection (reforestation, watershed protection, anti-desertification).
Converting resources into products.
Support for modern manufacturing and high-tech industry.
Improvement of public services (education, vocational training, health care)
Fostering of cross-border cooperation and trade.
Revitalizing the Northeast Region’s old industrial bases:
Building-up on the industrial history of the area.
Advancement of structural transformation of production and SOEs.
Development of modern agriculture and grain base.
Establishment of modern, fine manufacturing industry.
Creation of pilots for economic transformation and compensation mechanisms.
Improvement of railway networks and interprovincial roads.
Fostering cross-border economic cooperation.
Desertification prevention.
Western Development Region
North-Eastern Development
Region
Eastern Development Region
Central Development Region

8. China has made remarkable progress in poverty reduction measured by different poverty lines

9. According to the new national poverty standard, there are 26
According to the new national poverty standard, there are million poverty alleviation targets in 2010, accounting for 2.8% of the overall rural population. There will be more, if international standard is referred to.
New changes of poverty distribution and difficulties facing extremely poverty-stricken regions.
Natural disasters are severe, and the capacity to prevent and fight disaster is insufficient.

10. Income gap expands, and relative poverty is prominent10 10 10

11. Bloc Areas with special difficulties
2.Why do we Need Poverty Reduction Strategy for Block Area?
What is ‘Block Area Development’?
特殊 = special
困难 = difficulty
地区 = area
Bloc Areas with special difficulties
集中 = concen-trated
连片 = closely grouped

12. Bloc Areas Poor counties
---Block Area In 1985: 125 million poor rural residents didn’t have adequate food and clothing. Most of them lived in the 18 Block Areas in East, Central and West China, especially in old revolutionary bases, ethnic-minority, and underdeveloped areas.
But no Special policy for such a big Population.
Regions
Bloc Areas
Poor counties
East 2 32
Middle 7
206
West 9
172

13. ---Block Area In 2000: West and Center Regions cover 91% poor population and most located in 25 Block Areas. But It is Difficult to Find the Leading and coordinating Mechanism. So Targeted 150,000 Poorest Villages.
1988
1993
2000
Disparities between urban and rural areas keep increasing.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics China

14. ---Block Area In 2011: (1)Poor Population still Concentrated on the Block Areas with some Characteristics. (2)Two-Wheels Driven Poverty Reduction: Development-oriented Poverty Alleviation and rural minimum life guarantee system. (3)’Grand Poverty Reduction’: the specific poverty reduction efforts, sector based poverty reduction and social participation. (4) Endeavor to Reverse the Trend of Widening Income Gap and Strive to Help Poverty Stricken Areas Enter Into the Well-off Society Together with the Rest of the Country. (5)Enough Financial Support from the Central and Local Government.

15. 592 national poor counties
Source: LGOP

16. Selection Criterias for Block Area:
Poor!
Per capita GDP
Per capita net income
Per capita financial expenditure
Counties in which those three figures are below certain standards will be chosen
11+3 Block Areas.
Source: Wang Guoliang in Enshi meeting

17. 11 Plus 3 Block Areas: 28.03.2017 Greater Hinggan Mountain Area
Tibetan Area Outside TAR
Qinba Mountain Area
Wuling Mountain Area
Greater Hinggan Mountain Area
Yan- Taihang Mountain Area
South of Xinjiang
Lvliang Mountain Area
Liupan Mountain Area
Tibetan Autonomous Region
Dabie Mountain Area
Wumeng Mountain Area
Stone Desertification Area
Luoxiao Mountain Area
West of Yunnan
Mountain Area

18. High residual poverty 28.03.2017 Poverty counties (1994)*
Richest counties (1994)*
* Most recent county map not available

19. Ecological fragility (Ecological Function Areas)

20. Ecological fragility (Vulnerability)

21. Large minority population

22. Cross provincial boundaries

23. 3.What are Poverty Reduction Strategy for Block Area?
A. Targeting: “Outline for Poverty Alleviation and Development in China's Rural Areas” ( )
By 2020, the target groups of Poverty Alleviation will be guaranteed:
Adequate food and clothing
Compulsory education
Basic medical care
Housing
Raising the growth rate of net per capita income of farmers in poor areas above the national average level
Equalisation of major indicators of basic public services on rural and national average level
Reversing the trend of the widening development gap
Source: LGOP exhibition

24. B. Guidelines: Targets and Scope of work Guidelines of Work
Population below poverty line
Bloc Areas with special difficulties
Key counties
Poor villages
Guidelines of Work
Poverty alleviation through development
Social security, provision of basic clothing and food
Basic Principles
Government led & multi-level governance
Defining priorities & specific guidance
Coordination & cooperation between ministries & departments
Self-reliance & hard work
Social support & common prosperity
Holistic approach & scientific development
Reform, innovation & increasing openness
Major Intervention Areas
Basic farmland and irrigation
Industries with specialised local products
Drinking water safety
Electricity
Traffic
Renovation of houses in poor conditions
Education
Healthcare
Public culture
Social security
Population and family planning
Forestry and ecology
Source: LGOP exhibition

25. Map of Concentrated Zones of Poverty with Special Characteristics (14)

26. C. Combine Regional Development and Poverty Reduction in Block Areas:
Reducing regional disparity, supporting structurally weak areas
Narrowing the rural-urban income gap
Rational division of economic and ecological functions
Ensuring strategic land use and gradual urbanisation
Achieving economic transition and sustainable growth
Poverty Alleviation
Eradicating absolute poverty by 2020
Reducing relative poverty, improving the livelihoods of the rural population
Per capita income of poor areas growing faster than national average
Raising standards of public services in poor areas to the national average
Reverse trend of widening income gaps
Block Area Development

27. State Development Strategy: More Fund, Special Policy, etc.
D. Plan, Implementation and Management:
State Development Strategy: More Fund, Special Policy, etc.
Plan for Block Area: Approved by State Council, Developed by NDRC and LGOP.
Coordinating by LGOP.
Province Takes all Responsibilities for its Block Area Poverty Reduction.
County Response for Implementation.
Target Group Participatory.

28. 4. What can we Learn from Wuling Mountain Area---One of Block Area
4.What can we Learn from Wuling Mountain Area---One of Block Area? (Based on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Study on WuLing Mountain Area,Co-organized by LGOP and GIZ)
----Location and borders.
counties.
Square Kilometers. M,
Population,(37.92M in Rural)

29. Topographic situation
Average altitude: ~ m
Source: Baseline Study on Poverty Alleviation in Wuling Mountain Area

30. Ethnic background ~84.3% ethnic minorities 28.03.2017
Source: Baseline Study on Poverty Alleviation in Wuling Mountain Area

31. Level of education
Source: Baseline Study on Poverty Alleviation in Wuling Mountain Area

32. Per capita GDP (2009)
Source: Baseline Study on Poverty Alleviation in Wuling Mountain Area

33. Poverty incidence rate (2009)
Source: Baseline Study on Poverty Alleviation in Wuling Mountain Area

34. Fragile ecological environment Lack of land resources
Challenges
Fragile ecological environment
Lack of land resources
Remoteness, weak infrastructure
Weak economic basis
Lack of public facilities and services
Lack of human resources
Lack of investment and financial transfers

35. 5.How to Meet the Challenges?
Coordination on Central Government level.
Multi-level and cross-border governance.
Special Fund, Policy, Mechanism.
Knowledge, Human Resources and Capacity Development.
Participatory.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting.
International Cooperation.

36. THANK YOU!