China determined to eliminate poverty by 2020 (Photo/Xinhua)

China is set to eliminate poverty by the year 2020, which means lifting 1 million people out of poverty each month in the next 6 years, the State Council said on October 12.

The task is profound and very challenging, but China's central and local governments are determined to achieve the goal, a senior State Council official said at a press conference on Monday.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics in February, China currently has a population of 70 million living below the poverty line, with an annual net income of less than 2,300 yuan.