The Global Significance of China’s Achievements in Poverty Alleviation

Ji Si

On February 25, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the National Summary and Commendation Conference for Poverty Alleviation and pointed out that China has won a complete victory in poverty alleviation at the crucial moment of welcoming the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. This great victory and glory is not only a miracle never seen in China, but also a monument to the cause of global poverty reduction, which is of great value of the times as well as of great significance to the world.

We are ready to contribute to the world poverty alleviation by sharing Chinas experience. The Communist Party of China is a political party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and also a party striving for the cause of human progress. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important expositions, which have enriched and developed the anti-poverty theory of Marxism, innovated and expanded the poverty alleviation path with Chinese characteristics, as well as provided a guiding principle for action in winning the fight against poverty. At the National Summary and Commendation Conference for Poverty Alleviation, General Secretary Xi further summarized Chinas experience and understanding as “seven stick-tos”, which not only are of practical significance to Chinas building of long-term mechanism for sustained poverty alleviation and realization of common prosperity, but also have greatly enriched the theory of poverty reduction of mankind, contributing to the world poverty reduction governance and cause. It is a general belief among foreign political parties, think tanks and media that China has built effective policy system, working system and institutional system for poverty alleviation, which is a valuable treasure of human poverty reduction experience and can provide useful reference for countries in the world to get rid of poverty. According to leaders of the African Union and African countries, Chinas experience in poverty alleviation is very important to Africa, and China is not only a friend but also a role model. UN Secretary General Guterres said that the targeted poverty alleviation strategy is the only way to help the poor people and achieve the grand goal set in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, and Chinas experience can provide useful reference for other developing countries.

We are ready to provide Chinas solutions for global poverty reduction. Getting rid of poverty has been a prominent problem in global development and governance. China always adheres to the people-centered development concept, adheres to eliminating the root causes of poverty by means of development, and adheres to regarding the rights to subsistence and development as the primary and basic human rights. These ideas have not only played a guiding role in Chinas elimination of abject poverty, but also provided Chinas solutions for tackling the world-wide poverty problem at the practical level. While committed to its own poverty alleviation undertaking domestically, China actively participates in global poverty reduction governance and shares Chinas ideas and practices through multi-level mechanisms for exchange and cooperation, such as China International Forum on Poverty Alleviation, China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction, East Asia Poverty Reduction Demonstration and Cooperation Project, etc. The concept and practice of targeted poverty alleviation advocated by China was included in a resolution on eliminating rural poverty adopted by the UN General Assembly during its 73rd session in 2018. At the International Seminar on Poverty Eradication and Responsibility of Political Parties held in 2020, the participants from different countries unanimously expressed that Chinas wisdom and solutions have made significant contributions to the progress of world poverty reduction and global poverty reduction governance.

We are ready to contribute Chinas strength to world poverty reduction undertaking. China has created a poverty alleviation miracle in the history of human poverty reduction. Since the beginning of the reform and opening up, China has lifted 770 million rural people out of poverty according to the current poverty line, and contributed over 70% to the worlds poverty reduction according to the World Bank international poverty standard. Against the background of the still serious global poverty situation and increasing gap between the rich and poor in some countries, China has achieved the goal of ending poverty in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, which has undoubtedly boosted the confidence of the cause of human poverty reduction. China has always been engaging in international poverty reduction cooperation and contributed to the global poverty reduction. China has provided assistance to other developing countries to the best of its capacity through material aid, debt relief, expanding imports and other means. China actively promotes the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming at exploring common development and shared prosperity with all countries in the world. According to a report released by the World Bank, the Belt and Road development will help to lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty. ECLAC Executive Secretary Bárcena said that in the past 70 years, China has always been committed to eradicating poverty by itself and has actively engaged in South-South cooperation. Chinas poverty alleviation efforts have greatly accelerated the development of world poverty reduction.

A single flower does not make spring, while many flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden. Standing at the historical intersection of the Two Centenary Goals, China will always carry forward the spirit of poverty alleviation and international cooperation. Amid the great changes of the century, China will uphold the correct historical, overall and role view, firmly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and firmly act as the active advocator and powerful promoter of the world poverty reduction undertaking, and make new and greater contribution to building the world into a prosperous one without poverty.