Progress in programs for people with disabilities lauded

President Xi Jinping joined more than 600 delegates from across the country on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 8th National Congress of the China Disabled Persons' Federation in Beijing.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the event with other Party and State leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning and Cai Qi. Ding Xuexiang delivered a speech at the opening ceremony on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet.

Noting the significant achievements made in the past decade by the country's programs for people with disabilities, Ding said that China has achieved the goal of "leaving no disabled people behind while completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects" on schedule.

"In the fight against poverty, we have made disabled individuals a priority group, and over 7.1 million disabled people from rural areas have been lifted out of poverty, fundamentally changing the unfortunate fate of people with disabilities being trapped in poverty for thousands of years," he said.

The nation has also established systems dedicated to the disabled, such as living allowances for disabled people in need, nursing subsidies for the severely disabled, and rehabilitation assistance for disabled children, benefiting over 20 million disabled people, Ding said.