【明報專訊】By the standards of the United Nations, which defines poverty as income lower than US$1.9 per day, there were still 832 poor counties scattered in 22 provinces of China ten years ago. The central government employed various methods to support these poor counties. In 2020, China raised its poverty line to an annual income of 4,000 RMB per capita, equivalent to US$2.2 per day, slightly higher than the United Nations' standard. By May of this year, there were still 52 counties in seven provinces that were below the poverty line. These places have one thing in common: they are located away from the city, at high altitudes or on the edge of the desert, lacking the natural conditions for farming or animals to graze. They are also sparsely populated, with poor households scattered in different corners. The last stretch in the race to lift the whole of China out of poverty remains very difficult.