BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to improve the philanthropy work to attract more charity organizations to help reduce poverty, vice minister of civil affairs Gao Xiaobing said Saturday.

Gao made the remarks at the annual conference of China's philanthropy.

The ministry will also ask civil affairs authorities in poverty-stricken areas to facilitate the poverty relief endeavors by charity organizations, Gao said.

Charity foundations have donated about 3.15 billion yuan (478.4 million U.S. dollars) for poverty relief from 2016 to June 2017, according to a statement of the ministry in December.

Of 206 foundations registered at the ministry, 97 foundations sponsored or engaged in 547 poverty relief projects, covering education, healthcare, industrial development, infrastructure and emergency assistance, said the ministry statement.

China has set 2020 as the target year to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society, which requires the eradication of poverty.

As of the end of 2016, there were still 43.35 million people in China living below the country's poverty line of 2,300 yuan (344.3 U.S. dollars) of annual income as constant with 2010 prices, accounting for about 3 percent of China's population.

To achieve the target in 2020, China needs to bring more than 10 million people out of poverty every year, meaning nearly 1 million people per month or 20 people per minute.