Gov't targets poverty relief support at revolutionary base

BEIJING - China will offer greater poverty relief support to the Luoxiaoshan Mountainous area, a former Chinese revolutionary base, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) announced on Thursday.

At an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss poverty relief in the region, Gong Puguang, deputy minister of civil affairs, said greater efforts will be made to improve the local social security net, including basic allowance, medical and ad hoc assistance, and support to extremely needy people.

Government assistance will act as a safety valve for those unable to work or those temporarily living in poverty, Gong said.

Governments will improve local public services, including perfecting disaster relief services, promoting urbanization, offering civil affairs-related skill training, and soliciting professional assistance for rural "left-behind" children and elderly, whose parents or young adult children work in cities.

The MCA took stock of financial support offered in the area through the civil affairs sector in 2015, including the central budget of 316 million yuan ($48.7 million) to build senior houses and children's welfare facilities, and 255 million yuan in central lottery funds to build senior housing and mental health institutions.

The central government also earmarked subsidies worth 254 million yuan to care for orphans, benefiting more than 68,000 orphans and children with HIV/AIDS, according to the MCA.

Luoxiaoshan Mountainous region, located in Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, is a cradle of China's revolution. Much of the region was part of Jinggangshan, where Mao Zedong established a rural base for the Chinese revolution in 1927.