Policies help rural Xinjiang residents shake off poverty

Sheep roam at the Xiyangyang farm in Keping county, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The farm has helped villagers get out of poverty. Photo: Shan Jie/ GT

Three years ago, Abudreyim Abduwaili’s family was still poverty-stricken, but now he has become the vice manager of a herding company and is helping his neighbors to shake off poverty.

Abudreyim is a resident at the Tuman village of Wushi county, Aksu prefecture in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

His family has five members and only 0.27 hectares of farmland. He previously farmed and worked as a temporary construction worker from time to time.

In 2015, with the help of residency working team garrisoned in his local government and village, Abudreyim joined the Zhenxing herding company. For the first time, Abudreyim had a stable job and a regular income of 2,500 yuan ($358).

Abudreyim values the opportunity and works hard. He learned Putonghua and the technique of raising goats. In 2017, he was promoted as vice manager of the company.

“We are not poor forever. With the help of the government, I will change my situation with actions and help others to shake off poverty,” Abdureyim said.

The monthly salary of Abdureyim is more than 4,000 yuan now. Previously, the only household appliance his family owned was a washing machine. In the past few years, they have purchased a new television and a refrigerator.

His new year’s plan is to buy a car.

Mehmet Tulti Abudureyimu stands in front of an automatic production line of nangs, a traditional pancake, in a village cooperative in Keping county, Xinjiang. Although he is young, he has become the master of the production line. Photo: Shan Jie/ GT

Abdureyim’s success made him a “celebrity” in the village, as he also leads neighbors in  finding jobs and raising their income.

Yusup Tiliwaerdi was introduced by Abdureyim to work in the Zhenxing company. He said that “we saw the improvement on Abdureyim. Under his help, I now have a stable job and will work hard.”

Abdureyim’s example reflects upon thousands of people’s experience of shaking off poverty in Xinjiang,  such a trend has grown more apparent in the past few years.

In the rural areas of Xinjiang, many people used to suffer from the scourge of poverty. They lacked education, jobs, and access to technology and finance.

According to the poverty alleviation plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), China is set to eliminate absolute poverty by 2020.

In the past year, the poverty reduction was paired with favorable policies. Government departments and companies in Xinjiang, and in other areas, set up working stations in villages. These sectors are working hard to develop rural areas. The added bonus of the region’s social stability is also becoming more apparent.

From 2014 to 2018, Xinjiang lifted over 2.3 million people above the poverty line, defined by a per capita annual income of 2,300 yuan at 2010 prices. The poverty rate in the region is now at 6 percent, according to the Xinhua News Agency report in October.

By the end of 2020, these remaining people are expected to be taken off the impoverished list. Nearly 1.9 million people in southern Xinjiang were lifted out of poverty, with its poverty rate dropping from 29.1 percent to 10.9 percent.

Villagers in Xinjiang have gradually escaped the scourge of poverty.