China eliminated more than 8.03 million illiterates from 2001 to 2004, according to a National Report on China's Education for All released by the Ministry of Education(MOE) on Thursday.

The report said that China has maintained an illiteracy ratio of around 4 percent among youth and the middle aged.

The literacy rate among adults is 90.9 percent. China has received 14 awards given by UNESCO for making the achievements in eliminating illiteracy in the last two decades, according to the report.

The Chinese government plans to eliminate all illiteracy among those aged 15 through 24 by 2010, the report said.

The government has paid much attention to eliminate female illiteracy and avoid new female illiterates, said the report. The amount of female adult illiterates has been reduced from 159 million to 61.8 million during the last decade of the 20th century.

Local authorities have taken various measures to eliminate illiteracy in accordance with the unbalanced economic and educational developments in various regions. Radio, TV and other mass media have been made use of to disseminate knowledge among illiterates, the report said.

Source: Xinhua