China Inspires the World with Ways of Eliminating Poverty
China has made great contributions to the global governance on poverty, which are instrumental in helping countries realize the 2030 SDGS.
THE International Forum on Poverty Governance and Development Towards Modernization was held in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on May 18, 2021. The event, which hosted around 150 diplomats, officials, and scholars from 18 countries and four international organizations including the United Nations, aimed to draw lessons from China’s poverty alleviation efforts, promote international cooperation on poverty reduction and development, and advance sustainable development towards modernization.
Value of the Nujiang Model
Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture was named after the Nujiang River, which runs through the prefecture from north to south. It boasts spectacular natural landscapes, biodiversity, and diverse ethnic culture. At the same time, though, it also was known for having poor facilities, a weak economic foundation, and a large population of poor families.
In 2014, after the completion of the Dulongjiang Highway Tunnel, the only channel connecting Dulongjiang Township with the outside world, locals of the Dulong ethnic minority wrote a letter of appreciation to Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing their gratitude for what the Party and the government had done for their region. Soon, they received a reply letter from Xi who encouraged them to build a comfortable living environment and a better life. One year later, Xi came to Yunnan on an inspection tour and encouraged Dulong people to shake off poverty. In 2019, when all villagers of Dulongjiang Township bade farewell to poverty, President Xi received a second let
ter from the locals, and again he sent a reply expressing his congratulations to them.
In today’s Nujiang, roads have been built with funds from government, making all villages accessible. And 100,000 poor people have moved out of their thatchroofed shabby bamboo houses in the deep mountains into spacious apartments equipped with furniture and home appliances, living a new life in which their basic needs, compulsory education, and medical care needs are all guaranteed.
As a major battleground for China’s poverty alleviation campaign, Yunnan has eliminated absolute poverty on schedule with concerted efforts of people of all ethnic groups in the region, said Wang Xiangang, vice governor of Yunnan Province in a speech he delivered at the forum. He then introduced the local experience in poverty alleviation. First, the local government adopted creative thinking and strictly followed new requirements for poverty alleviation work put forward by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core; second, it adhered to the unified and centralized leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and a people-centered development approach; third, it gave full play to the distinctive advantages of the socialist system in pooling strengths for major tasks and undertakings; fourth, it encouraged the poor to create a better life by working hard with their own hands. Talking about the province’s future plans, Wang said that Yunnan Province will promote rural vitalization and advance the drive of socialist modernization, while cementing the progress they have already achieved in poverty alleviation, leading people of all ethnic groups within the province to create a happier and better life.
Mutual Learning
Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, said in a video speech during the forum that the reason for the existence of poverty is multi-faceted, and the policy to help the poor continues to evolve with time, but throughout the world, all forms of poverty must be eliminated. The world has less than 10 years to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which encapsulates the goal to end poverty and hunger in all their forms and dimensions. African countries in particular must take an initiative and learn from China’s invaluable experience in poverty alleviation, good practices in the development of manufacturing and infrastructure, and its experience in opening up its market, and easing restrictions on access to its agricultural sector.
Qu Sixi, representative of the World Food Programme China Office, stated during the forum that getting rid of poverty has always been the pursuit of human society and is the main goal of the United Nations. Though China has made great achievements in poverty alleviation, the situation in many other countries and regions still continues to deteriorate. Statistics show that the number of people who are chronically hungry has increased to nearly 700 million over the past six years. In 2020, due to unexpected reasons, such as the breakout of COVID-19, extreme weather, climate change, and regional conflicts, 155 million more people suffered from sudden famine. Amid the great
Getting rid of poverty has always been the pursuit of human society and is the main goal of the United Nations.
change that has not been seen in a century, China has made marked achievements in eradicating poverty and promoting the modernization of the country. It not only boosted the confidence of the Chinese people and developing countries, but also enriched the theory and practices of social development.
José Luis Gioja, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Argentina, said via video that eradicating poverty is the common mission of all humans. The widespread pandemic has posed a severe threat to human health and poverty alleviation. This year marks the centenary of the founding of the CPC, who has just secured the victory in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over a time span of four decades or more. China’s achievement in this area has been such an inspiring piece of news for countries and regions that are still on the way toward the zero-poverty goal – the No.1 target for achieving the UN SDGS in 2030. Gioja also expressed his sincere congratulations to the Chinese government and its people, as well as the CPC as the ruling party of the country. He hoped that the forum will provide more insights into China’s valuable experience in poverty alleviation, so countries can learn from it and come up with new ideas on global poverty governance and modernization.
Tania S. Y. Romualdo, ambassador of Cape Verde to China, expounded on a recent visit she participated in China’s Fujian and Shaanxi provinces where diplomats saw first-hand how the Chinese government helped the poor. For her, the value of China’s experience lies in accelerating the process of global poverty reduction, meanwhile providing help to African countries. Based on her observations, China attaches great importance to the people’s basic right to survival and development, actively solves the problems of poverty, unemployment, and famine, and provides inclusive public health and education to all. Women and young people are the beneficiaries and also participants in the fight against poverty. She encouraged Cape Verde and other developing countries to learn from China’s experience. With regard to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind, she noted that it is of great significance to conduct South-south cooperation and compare notes with each other.
Liu Chunxiang, deputy director of the International Liaison Bureau of the State Council Information Office, reaffirmed the importance of cooperation on poverty reduction, as well as exchanges on ideas and mutual learning. Because countries throughout the world have their distinctive national conditions and different development stages, they have adopted diversified methods in poverty reduction. China attaches great importance to absorbing good ideas and experiences from foreign countries, and is also willing to share its own experience with the international community, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for the reference of other countries.
Promoting International Cooperation
China attaches great importance to the people’s basic right to survival and development, actively solves the problems of poverty, unemployment, and famine, and provides inclusive public health and education to all.
China’s achievements in the area of poverty alleviation are a major part of the global poverty eradication effort, and they provide a Chinese model for global governance on poverty reduction. Guo Weimin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, former deputy director of the State Council Information Office, and president of China Public Relations Association, said that the tremendous changes realized in Nujiang are a typical case in the historical process of China’s poverty alleviation. It is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in poverty reduction, participate in the relevant cooperative mechanism within the United Nations framework, and make contributions to the realization of the 2030 SDGS.
Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Publishing Group, pointed out in his speech that eradicating poverty and living a prosperous life are the common goals of humankind, and an important target of all countries’ modernization drive. China’s historic achievements in poverty reduction have drawn worldwide attention, demonstrating the country’s institutional advantages in promoting people’s wellbeing and advancing common prosperity. Moreover, it has also accelerated the process of poverty reduction in the rest of the world. Its innovation on theories
and effective practices represent Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for global governance. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community should pool wisdom and establish a bridge of exchange and cooperation so as to build synergy in sustainable development to create a better world for all.
Kung Phoak, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN, said via video that the deficits caused by the polarization between the rich and the poor and the imbalanced development over the years are becoming the main obstacle for poverty reduction in the ASEAN region. Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of the unemployed and poor continues to rise. In response to the pressure of poverty caused by the pandemic, people are looking for solutions from the successful practices of China’s targeted poverty alleviation practice. It is hoped that China can provide ASEAN countries with new ideas for poverty reduction.
Korn Dabbaransi, president of the Thai-chinese Friendship Association and former deputy prime minister of Thailand, said via video link that poverty eradication is an uphill battle for the whole world. While different countries face different forms of poverty, Thailand and the rest of the world all hope to learn from China’s experience of targeted poverty alleviation, as well as its good practices in e-commerce, infrastructure development, and R&D in agricultural technologies. Thailand also seeks to promote cooperation and exchange with China under the Lancangmekong Cooperation Mechanism.
It is a general consensus that China has made great contributions to the global governance on poverty, in such areas as creating new models in green poverty reduction and building an ecological civilization, which are instrumental in realizing the 2030 SDGS. With its valuable experience in poverty alleviation, China will join hands with other countries to promote common development for all.