JD founder becomes village director to end poverty

Liu Qiangdong, CEO of JD.com Inc, takes a picture with villagers at Pingshitou village in North China's Hebei province last week. [Photo/Weibo]

Liu Qiangdong, CEO of JD.com Inc, one of China's largest e-commerce players, took up his new post as the honorary director of Pingshitou village in North China's Hebei province, one of the internet giant's gestures for poverty-relief.

The village is located at an impoverished region in Longquanguan town of Fuping county, with nearly 40 percent of households in the village in poverty.

"We will help lift the village out of poverty and boost households' average income by 10 times in five years," Liu said on a microblog post before he went to assume his post at the village last week.

He added the goal will be realized by developing industries in the village, rather than by donation.

Liu also emphasized the education in villages and said he will help build a new primary school in Pingshitou village and recruit high-level teachers to ensure children there can receive good education.

"I cannot forget the pain caused by poverty during my childhood, thus helping grassroots as possible as I can has always been a cause for me," Liu said on an microblog post on Saturday.

According to the post, JD has launched poverty-relief programs in 832 counties or regions with poverty-stricken people across the country.