GUIYANG - Southwest China's impoverished Guizhou province is to receive a loan of $100 million from the World Bank over the next five years for rural development.

The loan will be used to improve infrastructure and public services and increase the incomes of 440,000 rural residents in 11 counties, said the provincial poverty reduction authorities on Tuesday.

The Chinese government will earmark 247 million yuan ($40 million) as supporting funds for the project.

Guizhou has about seven million people living under the poverty line, the most of all Chinese provinces or region and plans to help 1.7 million out of of poverty in 2014.