The government will make it a "top priority" to relieve poverty among China's ethnic minorities.

The new pledge is part of a five-year plan for ethnic minority development which was unveiled in Beijing yesterday.

Ethnic minorities account for nearly half of the nation's rural population living in abject poverty.

"Since the country began reform and opening-up, ethnic minorities have made rapid progress," Vice-Minister of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Tondrub Wangben, said.

"But due to historical, environmental and social factors, the development of ethnic affairs is still lagging."

By 2005, the number of rural ethnic minority residents living in abject poverty had reached 11.7 million or 49.5 percent of China's total extreme poor.

Another 20.5 million ethnic people had just had adequate food and clothing, the official told a press conference held by the State Council Information Office. In all, China's 55 ethnic minority groups have a total population of at least 100 million, representing 8.4 percent of the nation's total.

"There is poorly coordinated economic and social development in minority areas, and fairly large gaps between different areas, rural and urban areas and ethnic groups," he said.

"This severely hinders the building of a harmonious society in China."

As many of the poverty-stricken people live in areas prone to natural disasters and with fragile environments, or otherwise unfit for inhabiting, the government will help move them to more "desirable living areas", according to the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) for Ethnic Minorities Affairs.

A social welfare web will be established to guarantee the living subsistence of the ethnic groups, it said.

In addition, the central government will channel more funds for poverty relief, according to Tondrub.

The vice-minister did not specify how much will be diverted for the cause, but the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, approved a report on March 16, which said transfer payments from the central budget to local governments in minority areas would hit 21 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) in 2007, an annual increase of 5.4 billion yuan ($692 million).

The government also aims to extend nine-year compulsory education to more than 95 percent of the ethnic minority population by the end of 2010, according to the plan.

The vice-minister also said all ethnic groups in China are equal and no racial discrimination exists.

"People from different ethnic groups often help each other and their relations are harmonious," the official, an ethnic Tibetan, said. "Were there discrimination, how could I, from a poor background, have gone to school and now be sitting here giving this press conference?"

Source: China Daily