On March 13, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) held a video conference on central SOEs securing a decisive victory in poverty alleviation. Hao Peng, Chairman of SASAC, presided over the meeting. Group Chairman Li Jianhong and Assistant President Chu Zongsheng participated in the conference in Hong Kong through video conferencing.

Hao Peng stressed that this year is the concluding year for the fight against poverty and central SOEs should resolutely overcome the impact of the epidemic, assist deeply-impoverished regions with greater determination and strength, and make contributions to the complete victory in eradicating poverty and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Hao Peng required that central SOEs should strengthen organizational leadership, strengthen supporting measures, strengthen focuses on crucial tasks, strengthen leveraging of advantages, strengthen consolidation of achievements, and strengthen award and publicity. It is worth mentioning that Hao Peng mentioned China Merchants Group twice in his speech. Recognition was given to, firstly, China Merchants Group's compiling of the "13th Five-Year Plan" of fixed-point poverty alleviation work and the three-year countdown action plan for poverty alleviation, and secondly, China Merchants Group's assistance project for helping middle school students and school-age children in Nagqu area in Tibet.

Immediately after the conference, Li Jianhong urged the Group's poverty alleviation office to hold a meeting on securing a decisive victory in poverty alleviation. He pointed out that the Group's poverty alleviation tasks are of great significance and responsibility that we must earnestly implement the poverty eradication of the pairing assistance counties with coordinated deployment. The Group's poverty alleviation office then held a meeting to further study and deploy relevant tasks.