Ushering in a historical moment to celebrate the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese President Xi Jinping announced to the world on China’s “complete victory” in its fight against absolute poverty. Over the past eight years, the final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents living under the current poverty line have all been lifted out of poverty. All the 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 impoverished villages have been removed from the poverty list. The daunting task to eliminate China’s absolute poverty has been accomplished. It is a world miracle!
Recently UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres has congratulated Xi and the Chinese government on China’s successful efforts in the fight against absolute poverty. He said the notable accomplishment is a significant contribution to realizing a better and more prosperous world as envisioned by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and China's extraordinary achievements have provided hope and inspiration to the entire international community.
Poverty alleviation has always been a challenge for global development and governance. As a major country with one-fifth of the world's population, China has lifted 770 million impoverished rural residents out of poverty over the past four decades of reform and opening-up, accounting for more than 70% of global total within the same period. China has achieved the UN SDG on poverty reduction 10 years ahead of schedule, has created a “China example” and made great contributions to global poverty alleviation. At the fight against poverty, China has actively explored a poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics in line with China’s national conditions and the law of poverty alleviation. What is China’s prescription for the progress? Here I would like to introduce some important experience.
First of all, China’s achievements in poverty alleviation have benefited from upholding CPC leadership. The CPC as the ruling party provides a strong political and organizational guarantee for the fight against poverty. Upholding its centralized and unified leadership, the central committee of the CPC has incorporated the poverty alleviation into its integrated plan and comprehensive strategy, and pursue coordinated progress. Under the leadership of the CPC, China is able to concentrate resources on major tasks, which is a unique political advantage of China’s socialist system for poverty alleviation. In total 255,000 village-based working teams and over 3 million first secretaries of CPC village committees and village-based officials have been sent to the frontline in poor villages across the country. It is a fight of unprecedented intensity, scale and influence.
Secondly, China’s achievements have benefited from the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation. It is a concept that President Xi put forward in 2013. During the implementation, the authorities identify the targets of poverty alleviation, determine who will carry out the work and how they should do it, and make clear how to apply an exit mechanism for those who have emerged from poverty. Targeted aid and support has been delivered to every impoverished household in every village through identifying the poor accurately, adjusting measures based on local conditions and arranging targeted programs. It is also guided by the development-oriented policy. Development is the most effective way to eradicate poverty which requires stimulating endogenous impetus and enhancing the level of education. The aim is to prevent the transfer of poverty across generations and to improve the poverty alleviation effectiveness.
Thirdly, China’s achievements have benefited from an enhanced poverty alleviation framework. Governments at all levels in China have established special poverty-relief institutions, and have put into effect the working mechanism whereby central leadership makes overall plans, provincial authorities take over responsibility and city and county authorities take charge of implementations. The top leaders of the Party and government at provincial, city, county, township and village levels take full responsibility for the work. China has strengthened collaboration between the eastern and western regions, and reinforced the efforts of Party and government institutions and enterprises directed towards designated regions, thus to promote the flow of talents, capital and technology to impoverished areas. Both the government and society play their roles to the full, with government-sponsored projects, sector-specific programs, and corporate and societal assistance supplementing each other. A framework with extensive social participation is in place to push forward poverty alleviation.
In this tough battle against poverty, the international community has lent substantial support and assistance to China. In turn, China has made its contributions to international poverty alleviation cause with concrete actions. While committed to eliminating poverty at home, China has actively participated in international cooperation and fulfilled its responsibilities on poverty reduction. The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is committed to promoting extensive economic and social cooperation, and helping developing countries break development bottlenecks. According to the World Bank, the Belt and Road Initiative is expected to lift 7.6 million people out of absolute poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.
On the road towards eradicating poverty and achieving peaceful development, China is ready to work with other countries, and committed to being a leading contributor to the global poverty relief, so as to achieve a better future shared by all.
Li Yigang
Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Willemstad