Xi visits impoverished ethnic villagers in SW China

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits villages in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday, for poverty alleviation work. [Photo: Xinhua]

The Chinese President has visited the homes of impoverished villagers of the Yi ethnic group who live deep in the Daliang Mountains of Sichuan province.

Xi Jinping asked the villagers about their lives and discussed poverty alleviation with local officials and villagers.

It took Xi Jinping two hours of travel from the city of Xichang to reach the Sanchahe Township deep in the Daliang Mountain.

The president visited local households one by one to see the progress of the country's poverty reduction efforts.

"I'm very happy to visit you here. Visiting people of Yi ethnic group has long been my wish. Our goal is to help you lead a better life. To build a moderately prosperous society means nobody and no households should be left behind," said the President.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits villages in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday, for poverty alleviation work. [Photo: Xinhua]

Jihao Yeqiu, a 10-year-old school girl, is among those the president met. She loves singing.

When Xi Jinping visited her family, she sang a song for him. Her voice touched everyone present.

Xi Jinping said that "seeing you better off by the day I feel very happy. I hope the children can live a better life."

Superstition is still common among local villagers.

One woman told Xi Jinping that she used to believe that disease was caused by ghosts, until the head of the village told her that the "ghosts" were actually germs and developing hygienic habits can help prevent illness.

"There were ghosts once. Poor education and poverty are the ghosts. Now, we've solved the issues. People have better lives which helped chase away the ghosts," said the President.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits a family of Yi ethnic group in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday. [Photo: Xinhua]

As Xi Jinping wrapped up his visit, local people lined up and sent off the President who told the heads of villages to translate targets into real action.

Official stats show that China lifted over 68.5 million people out of poverty over the past five years.

It was equivalent to an annual reduction of at least 13 million. The country's poverty rate dropped from 10.2 percent in 2012 to 3.1 percent in 2017.

Meanwhile, there were still 30.5 million rural people living below the national poverty line at the end of 2017.

The Chinese government aims to lift all of them beyond the poverty line by 2020.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, poses for photo with a family of Yi ethnic group in Zhaojue county, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday. [Photo: Xinhua]