The 8th China Charity Fair, which ended at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center yesterday, witnessed the signing of letters of intent worth a total of 13.5 billion yuan (US$1.96 billion).

A scene at the 8th China Charity Fair. Photos by Sun Yuchen

Among them, 17 poverty alleviation projects valued at 8.22 billion yuan were matched and deals on six key investment projects for industrial poverty reduction were clinched, involving 5.3 billion yuan.

A total of 1,966 organizations and projects from across the country participated in the fair and 1,969 poverty-relief products were showcased.

Focusing on the needs of severely impoverished areas and their pursuit of sustainable development, the fair was divided into four sections this year, including exhibitions and exchanges, seminars, resource matching, and supporting activities.

Expat volunteers serving the 8th China Charity Fair pose for a photo yesterday. 

This year, the fair has actively explored and promoted resource matching through online and offline channels.

Before the fair opened, 22 key poverty alleviation projects were selected for online crowdfunding, attracting more than 100,000 people to participate in the donation. The “Rural Revitalization” special training camp was set up, and 15 live and recorded courses were launched to support poverty alleviation projects in poor areas.

During the fair, activities such as industry information releases, project roadshows, poverty alleviation product promotions and resource-matching seminars were carried out through various channels such as an e-commerce platform, a technical service provider and livestreaming platforms.

To promote consumer products produced in poor areas, the OCT Group and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council have joined hands to sell anti-poverty products through livestreaming presentations on Chinese short video app Kuaishou.

“We sold agricultural products worth 480,000 yuan in one night. [Livestreaming] not only helps more people get to know these products and boost consumption, but also helps our cooperatives and farmers obtain income,” said Zhang Dalei, deputy head of Sansui County of Guizhou Province.

Having vowed to eradicate poverty by the end of 2020, China is making an all-out effort to meet the goal.

According to statistics, China Charity Fair witnessed the signing of agreed projects worth nearly 20.5 billion yuan in 2018 and 2019. During the two sessions, 182 poverty alleviation projects were matched, and the purchase orders of poverty alleviation products reached 1.6 billion yuan.