Beijing, November 23 (KCNA) -- The party and government of China have made positive efforts to improve the life of the people in poor areas while getting achievements.

The State Council Information Office of China recently released the white paper, titled New Progress in Development-oriented Poverty Reduction Program for Rural China.

According to the white paper, China's poverty-stricken rural population fell from 94.22 million at the end of 2000 to 26.88 million at the end of 2010. This is the reduction to one third of the population for the past decade.

The Chinese government mapped out the "2001-2010 Plan of Development-oriented Poverty Reduction Program for Rural China" and eradicated existed taxes in rural areas including taxes of stock-farming and special taxes of agriculture and forestry, fixing them into law.

The government worked out and implemented a series of policies for regional development to promote economic and social development in Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, as well as in Xinjiang, Guangxi, Chongqing, Ningxia, Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan, and pushed forward the development-oriented poverty reduction program as a policy priority.

Progress was made in the campaign against illiteracy of young and middle-aged people in rural areas. Therefore, the rate of illiteracy is reduced from 7 percent in 2002 to 5.4 percent.

Total 150 million mu of forest was formed.

The Chinese party and government have promoted the new "2011-2020 Plan of Development-oriented Poverty Reduction Program for Rural China" and thus set the goal to consolidate the already achieved successes in food and clothing of inhabitants in the rural areas and put their living standard on the higher stage.