There are 85 million people with disabilities in China, more than any other country in the world, said Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, in a side-event of the 12th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

 

"In building a well-off society, we must not leave anyone with disabilities behind," he said.

 

According to the Chinese ambassador, the Chinese government has made poverty reduction for persons with disabilities an integral part of the country's battle against poverty.

 

In light of the special difficulties faced by persons with disabilities, the government has increased input in social security, rehabilitation and care services, housing accessibility renovation, among others, to meet their needs, he added.

 

"For example, China has set up a living allowance program for persons with disabilities in financial difficulty and a care allowance program for persons with severe disabilities," he said.

 

Since 2016, 20 million persons with disabilities have benefited from these programs and seen their lives improved. Through hard work, the number of poverty-stricken persons with disabilities in China has dropped to 1.7 million at the end of 2018 from nearly 6 million in 2014, Ma added.

 

At present, poverty alleviation for persons with disabilities remains an uphill battle, and there are still many to be helped, said Ma, adding that the government will make strenuous efforts to resolve the problems and continue to move forward in poverty eradication.