China's economic center Shanghai has financed the western and central poverty-stricken areas with more than 1.3 billion yuan (157 million US dollars) over the last 12 years, Mayor Han Zheng said here Tuesday.

Speaking at a welcome banquet for the Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction, Han said Shanghai has financed 2,900infrastructure projects in eight provinces and municipalities including Yunnan, Xinjiang and Tibet since 1992.

Shanghai also sent 800 volunteers to work in these areas, who had trained more than 100,000 locals, the mayor said, adding that the municipal government encourages Shanghai enterprises to invest in the poverty-stricken areas with incentive policies.

(Xinhua News  Agency  May 26, 2004)