2013
China Proposes the Belt and Road Initiative
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the proposals to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st- Century Maritime Silk Road in September and October 2013, respectively, which together became known as the Belt and Road Initiative. The Initiative aims to promote coordination of developing strategies along the Belt and Road routes, unleash market potential in the region, facilitate investment and consumption, boost demand and employment, and strengthen people-to- people and cultural exchanges. The Initiative helps enhance mutual understanding and trust and share peace and prosperity.
Targeted Poverty Alleviation Proposed
In late 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a remote village in central Hunan Province, where he met only seniors, children and women, as most young men had left to work in cities. During the visit, he proposed the idea of precision poverty relief. More than 68 million people have been lifted out of poverty since then.