China will beat poverty – Xi

– China will banish the “ghosts” of poverty, Chinese President Xi Jinping told villagers in a poor southwestern area during a visit to outlying regions before the Lunar New Year.

Poverty alleviation is one of Xi’s signature policies. In a remote part of Sichuan, a villager told Xi she used to believe ghosts were the cause of illness. “In the past we did have ghosts – the ghosts of ignorance, backwardness and poverty,” Xi said. “If we can resolve these problems the ghosts will vanish.” –