贵州跋涉在脱贫的山路上

GUIZHOU:STRUGGLING TO SHAKE OFF POVERTY

1996年,是联合国确定的“消除贫困国际年”。扶贫,成为一个世界性的话题。在中国西部,贵州是一个资源丰富,山明水秀的省份,但又是一个贫穷落后、亟待开发的地区。

Guizhou Province is a povertyridden, under-developed area in the Southwest China. In spite of its abundant natural resources and country sceneries, this is China's only agriculturedependent province without plains: 97% of the territory are mountainous or hilly areas with strips of arable land scattered in between,on which men and women toil support more population than they could, to grip grains from the palm of soil erosions. The reform and opening boom has initiated changes in the province. In 1986 the province launched a large-scale campaign against proverty, which reduced the poverty-ridden population from 15,000,000 in 1985 to 7,890,000 in 1995. In recent years, Guizhou has been implementing the national anti-poverty program (known as 'Eight-SevenPoverty-Alleviation-Program), under which a large variety of measures have been taken to provide assistances to proverty-ridden areas/households. The province has set up its goals: by the year 2000 the province will produce almost as much grains as its own people consume; all farmers will have adequate food and clothing; 2/3 of farmer households will become wealthy or live a fairly comfortable life.