Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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October 12, 2008

China Aims to Double Income of Farmers in 12 Years
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1EADFD2:A6F02AD83191E160BE3942F269C2A3F05C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Communist Party's central committee agree to implement plans to improve
farmers' incomes 
A farmer walks along a country road near Tianshui in China's northern
Gansu province, 12 Oct 2008China's ruling Communist Party says it hopes
to double the income of Chinese farmers in 12 years. The official Xinhua
news agency says the Communist Party's central committee agreed on a
plan of rural reforms Sunday at the end of a four-day meeting in
Beijing. Details of the plan were not released, but Xinhua says the
party set a goal of doubling the per capita income of rural residents
from the current level of around $590 by the year 2020. It says the
party also promised to boost spending by farmers and eliminate rural
poverty over the same period. The Communist Party's farm plans are
designed to reduce a growing income gap between China's urban elite and
the vast majority of rural poor. Some information for this report was
provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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