China, in cooperation with several international non-governmental organizations (NGO), launched a new poverty reduction program that will benefit poverty-stricken villages in four provinces and regions.

The community-driven development pilot program was launched on Wednesday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the goal of helping people in 60 villages who are living in extreme poverty in Guangxi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces.

Under an agreement, Plan International, Action Aid International and World Vision International, will carry out training of local program workers in selected villages, towns and counties, and supervise the use of funds and evaluate the program.

The program could become the model for further cooperation agreements between China and international NGOs involved in poverty reduction, said Jiang Xiaohua, an official with the Aid-the-Poor Development Office of the State Council.

The program is estimated to cost 48 million yuan (US$6 million). It will be partly funded by the World Bank.

At the end of 2005, China had a rural population of 23.65 million living in extreme poverty, as defined by those with a per-capita yearly income of less than 683 yuan (US$84), official statistics show.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2006)