Backgrounder: China's poverty relief achievements, challenges

Monday marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is also China's third National Poverty Relief Day.

Marking the day, the Chinese government issued a white paper that hailed efforts and progress the country has made in poverty alleviation and human rights.

Following are some facts and figures on China's poverty-relief achievements, and the challenges the country faces to realize its goal of lifting all people out of poverty by 2020.

Achievements:

-- Since 1978, when the reform and opening up drive was launched, China has lifted more than 700 million of its citizens out of poverty.

-- The proportion of people living in extreme poverty in China fell from 61 percent in 1990 to 4.2 percent in 2014.

-- The number of people China has taken out of poverty account for 70 percent of the world's total.

-- To fight poverty, China assigned special poverty relief funds amounting to 189.84 billion yuan (about $28.17 billion) from 2011 to 2015.

Challenges:

-- By the end of 2015, China still had 55.75 million people living in poverty, equivalent to the entire population of a medium-sized country.

-- To eradicate poverty by 2020, China pledged to lift 10 million people out of poverty every year from 2016 by developing specialty industries, transfering employment, relocation and social security coverage.

-- High risk of a return to poverty. A large number of China's poor households that struggle to remain free of poverty can be pushed back into poverty as a result of factors such as natural disasters, illness, or issues involving education, marriage and housing.

Assisting global efforts:

-- While combating poverty at home, China has also supported other developing countries in the cause.

-- Since 1949, China has provided nearly 400 billion yuan to 166 countries and international organizations, sent more than 600,000 aid workers abroad, given medical assistance to 69 countries, and aided more than 120 developing countries in realizing the Millennium Goals.

-- On seven occasions, China has unconditionally canceled debts to relieve the burden of heavily indebted countries and lesser developed countries.