China writes important chapter in world’s history of poverty reduction
By He Yin
General secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping recently vowed to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, make more arduous efforts, and secure a decisive victory of poverty alleviation.
He made the remarks when visiting national political advisors from the economic sector attending a joint panel discussion at the third session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
What he said once again demonstrated the solemn promise made by the CPC to the Chinese people and history.
2020 marks a year when China aims to achieve a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eliminate poverty. The country is making all-out efforts with confidence, resolution and perseverance to write an important chapter in the world’s history of poverty alleviation. Absolute poverty, a problem that has plagued the Chinese nation for hundreds of years will come to an end. This remarkable achievement will significantly inspire the global cause of poverty reduction.
China’s poverty alleviation practices aim to create a better life for the people. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, the CPC has led the Chinese people to make constant efforts and lifted over 800 million people out of poverty, contributing to over 70 percent of the global poverty reduction in the same period.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress held in 2012, the country had lifted more than 10 million people out of poverty annually for 7 consecutive years, bringing poverty headcount ratio from 10.2 percent to 0.6 percent. It has achieved a decisive success in poverty alleviation.
“We have never seen that number of people lifted out of extreme poverty ever before in the history of mankind,” said Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum (WEF), calling it “a great achievement of China.”
During this year’s “two sessions” of the top legislature and political advisory body of China, the country’s poverty eradication progress attracted huge attention from the world. General secretary Xi Jinping stressed not to have the people fall into or slip back to poverty because of the disease. The government work report also said that “Eliminating poverty is an obligatory task we must complete in order to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.”
Besides, deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and CPPCC members all vowed to meet the core demand for ensuring rural poor people do not have to worry about food and clothing and have access to compulsory education, basic medical services and safe housing.
The firm stand of the Chinese leadership is a strong evidence that China is able to achieve poverty eradication by the end of the year. That’s a point generally agreed by international media.
“We leave no one behind on the road to building socialism, and together we will achieve common prosperity.” President Xi’s remarks presented the magnificence of China’s poverty alleviation efforts, as well as the Chinese actions and strength that fully showcase the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
To win the war against poverty and help lift out of poverty all rural residents falling below the current poverty line, and achieve poverty alleviation in all poor counties and areas by the end of this year, the whole Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups are working as one to make concrete efforts.
Ahmed Jawad, central secretary on information of Pakistan’s ruling party Tehreek-e-Insaf commented that China’s poverty alleviation success came from the country’s institutional advantages that are able to mobilize and unite different social sectors and classes to fight for national development. What’s impressive is that during the outbreak of COVID-19, China on the one hand managed to lower the impacts of the disease on its poverty alleviation, and on the other hand had unswervingly completed the remaining tasks of poverty eradication.
Russian Gazette reported that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t change China’s fundamentals of poverty alleviation, and the Chinese government is competent of finishing its poverty eradication tasks.
China’s poverty alleviation has made huge contribution to and won a high reputation from the world. Nicholas Rosellini, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator and highest-level representative of the UN in China, noted that many countries are hoping to learn from China in poverty alleviation, and are exploring how to apply these experiences to their own efforts at home. He said, China’s poverty reduction practices are inspiring global countries, adding that China will realize the poverty reduction goals set by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years in advance after it completes its own poverty alleviation targets this year.
China provides the world, especially the Global South, an example of how economic policies and social policies have managed to take hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, said Jorge Chediek, director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). China has made a significant contribution to global poverty eradication, he added.
China actively promotes international cooperation on poverty reduction, supports and helps developing countries, especially the least developed ones, to take multiple measures to eradicate poverty. Besides, it also joins the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for poverty alleviation cooperation. Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank’s Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, said that China’s progress in poverty reduction has global significance.
To eradicate poverty is a common mission of all mankind. The positive signal released by the “two sessions” to unswervingly achieve a victory for poverty alleviation will surely inspire global countries to enhance their confidence in realizing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Upholding the vision of building a community with a share future for mankind, joining hands to accelerate the global progress of poverty reduction, and jointly building a beautiful and prosperous world free from poverty shall be a common choice for all countries.
