In today's fast-paced, competitive world of economic growth, poverty is often discussed in terms of undevelopment. The truth is that it exists everywhere, even in China, where the economy is growing at an unprecedented rate.

The truth is that poverty exists. China is home to more than 18 percent of the world's poor, with a total population of 1.3 billion people. Although most statistics show that poverty in China is decreasing, these are based on a poverty level that is much lower that the internationally accepted standard. One problem in the fight against poverty is that the defintions and standards of poverty aren't clear. We must start at the begining, by asking ourselves "What is poverty?". Poverty is usually measured by income, but income isn't always related to standard of living. This is a huge problem, because as concerned as we may be, we don't know what it it is that we're fighting.

The gap between the rich and the poor, between the rural and urban is also a major cause for concern. Since 1978, China has introduced economic reforms to make themselves internationally competitive. Yet, these reforms have mostly benefitted urban areas, disregarding China's rural poor.

The problem can not be contained. Poverty, wherever it occurs, directly affects all kinds of aspects of society. Environmental problems may be caused by those in poverty- it was once estimated that most of China's deforestation occurred because of poverty. Likewise, industrial and natural pollutants can cause serious health problems for those consuming contaminated water or living in unsanitary conditions. When we study poverty, we must have a broad perspective of all interconnected problems.

Do these factors prove, that despite efforts on behalf of the World Bank and the Chinese Government, that there is truly a significant problem? How successful are the Chinese solutions? And what further actions can be taken to alleviate China's poor?

Please use this information to further your own studies on the topic- find what interests you. Only when we take these personal measures to understand the situation, can we ever do anything about it.