News Plus慢速英语:李克强:以更大决心向贫困宣战 全国特殊教育工作电视电话会议召开

This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Marc Cavigli in Beijing. Here's the news.
China will wage a war against poverty with a stronger resolve and prevent it from afflicting future generations.
Chinese Premier Li Ke-qiang says high economic growth since China began reform and opening up more than 30 years ago has helped lift almost half the nation's population out of poverty.
He says this is due to market-oriented reforms and the government's constant efforts in poverty relief.
Despite the achievements, poverty is not fully rooted out, which has prompted the premier to make the vow in his tour to two deprived regions in the northwestern province of Shaanxi on January 26th.
Remaining poverty-stricken areas are mostly those beset with harsh natural conditions.
The premier says poverty relief is like a thermometer that can measure social justice and people's well-being. Significance must be given to the creation of more fair development opportunities for the poor.
China's poverty line is equivalent to less than 1 U.S. dollar a day and is still lower than the World Bank level of 1.25 U.S. dollars a day.

In a related development, China has promised to increase the education budget for disabled children and welcomes private funds.
Chinese Premier Li Ke-qiang says a proper special education system is of great significance to ensuring the equal rights of the disabled people in social affairs.
He says it is also of vital importance for improving the well-being of disabled families and to safeguard social justice.
The premier made the remarks in a written address to a national conference on special education held in Beijing.
He urged all levels of governments to further improve the special education system so that the disabled children can receive as good an education as other children.
The conference says an inclusive special education system without discrimination is a must.
The government will improve the capacity of existing special education schools with more investment in facilities, teaching programs and career training for the teachers.
Compulsory education only covered less than 72 percent of disabled children by the end of 2012, while almost 99 percent of eligible children without disabilities receive education.