Published by: World Tibet Network News, 96/03/31

LANZHOU (March 29) XINHUA - Some 550,000 people in northwest China have resettled in the Gansu Corridor and areas irrigated by water of the Yellow river since a major campaign to overcome poverty was launched in Gansu Province and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 1983.

The resettlement in those places where living conditions are better has been regarded as an ideal method to help 1.4 million poorer farmers and herdsmen in the underdeveloped areas escape poverty.

Since 1983 the Chinese central government has earmarked 200 million yuan each year for resettlement. To date, a total of 40 settlement bases have been established and more than 85,000 ha of farmland has been developed in those places.

Statistics show that some 95 percent of those who have lived in the new settlements for over the past three years enjoy adequate food and clothing, and some 40 percent live a relatively comfortable life.

In Jingyuan County some 87 families are capable of earning over 5,000 yuan a year from plantation and livestock-raising. In Longde County, the per-capita net income of these migrants stood at 600 yuan in 1995.