Sinceitsfoundingin1921,theCPChassoughttoimprovepeople鈥檚wellbeingandachievenationalrejuvenation.AfterthefoundingofthePeople鈥檚RepublicofChina,astherulingparty,theCPChastakenservingthepeoplewholeheartedlyasitsfundamentalgoverningprinciple.Thesocialistsystemhasundoubtedlylaidasolidfoundationforthecountrytoeliminatepoverty.Afteritsreformandopening-upkickedoff,Chinastartedmassive,state-organized,andwellplannedpovertyreliefanddevelopmentcampaignswithasuccessionofnationalplansintroduced.
Sincetheconveningofthe18thCPCNationalCongressinNovember2012,theCentralCommit-teeofthePartywithXiJinpingatthecorehasincorporatedpovertyalleviationanddevelopmentintothecountry鈥檚five-sphereintegratedplan(topromotecoordinatedeconomic,political,cultural,social,andecologicaladvancement)andfour-prongedcomprehensivestrategy(tomakecomprehensivemovestofinishbuildingamoderatelyprosperoussocietyinallrespects,deepenreform,advancelaw-basedgovernance,andstrengthenPartyself-governance).WithpovertyeradicationasthesymbolandfundamentaltaskforChinatobuildamoderatelyprosperoussociety,Chinahasstarteditsall-outfightagainstpoverty.Thankstotheconcertedeffortsofthewholecountry,decisiveprogresshasbeenmade.UpandOutofPoverty,firstpublishedin1992,isacollectionofXi鈥檚speechesandarticlesonhowtoshakeoffpovertymadewhenheworkedinNingdeCityofFujianProvince.
Themostimpressivepovertyreductionachievementintheworldhasbeenattained.Asoftheendof2017,China鈥檚ruralpopulationinpovertydroppedto30.46millionfrom98.99millionin2012withanimpressivereductionrateof70percent;andthepovertyheadcountratiohasdecreasedfrom10.2percentto3.1percent.
Withayearlyaverageof13.7millionpeopleliftedoutofpoverty,twicethenumberfromtheperiodof1994-2010,theyearlyaverageincomeofruralpeopleinthosepoverty-strickenregionshasseenanactualgrowthof10.7percent.From2013to2017,ruralresidents鈥檖ercapitadisposableincomeinpoverty-strickenregionsgainedanaverageyearlygrowthof12.4percent;withadjustmentsforinflation,itsactualgrowthstoodat10.4percent,2.5percentagepointshigherthanthenationalaveragerateforallruralareas.
Thegapbetweenpoorruralareasandtheaveragenationalrurallevelhasbeenfurthernarrowedwithruralresidents鈥檖ercapitadisposableincomeinpoorareasreaching69.8percentofthenationalrurallevelin2017,anincreaseof7.7percentagepointsover2012.Inthosepoorruralareas,57.1percentoffarmershavemovedintoproperlyconstructedhousesorapartments,nearlyallvillageshaveaccesstoelectricityand98.2percentofthemhavetheirtelephonesconnected.Chinahasseenitsnumberofpoorcountiesfallforthefirsttime.Takingtheyear2016forexample,povertywaseliminatedin28poorcounties.
Thedevelopmentinpoorareashasbeenquickened.Industrieshaveblossomedinthoseareassuchastourism,manufacturing,ande-commerce.Povertyalleviationmeasuresarebeingimplementedfromasustainableperspectiveaswelltoensureprotectiononanecologicalandenvironmentalbasis.Theseeffortshaveledtopovertyalleviationandecologicallysustainableeconomicgrowth.Inadditiontothat,therehasbeenagreatdealofinvestmentinthedevelopmentandupgradingofinfrastructureinpoverty-strickenareas,allowingtheprovisionofbetterpublicservicesandwelldevelopedfacilitiesforimpoverishedresidents.
Intandemwiththegovernment鈥檚efforts,thedesireandmotivationofthosesufferingfrompovertyhavealsobeenspurred.Theirinnerimpetusservesasthefoundationfortheestablishmentofastablelong-termpovertyalleviationmechanism,andisalsothekeyforpovertyelimination.Theprocessofinjectingtheimpetusinternallywithinthesufferingpopulationstoshakeoffthescourgeofpovertyisthecommonconundrumfacedbytheinternationalcommunityasawholeinglobalpovertyalleviationefforts.ThecoreofXiJinping鈥檚thoughtonpovertyalleviationistocombinepovertyreliefwithmeasurestohelppoorpeoplemasterskillsinspecificindustriesandboosttheirconfidenceinfightingpoverty.Throughguidance,policyincentives,anddemon-strativeprojects,poverty-strickenpopulationswillrealizethattheyareresponsibleshareholders,andtheirsenseofparticipationandfulfillmentwillbeenhanced,whichhelpsalteroutdatedconcepts.
Alargegroupofofficialandtalentshavebeencultivated.Ithasbeenrecognizedasoneofthebestwaystocultivateandtemperofficialstosendthemtothepoverty-strickenregionstofightpovertytogetherwithlocalpeople.Howtoimplementarangeofpovertyalleviationpoliciesandmeasuresisactuallyagoodtestofthem.Thosecapableofficialswhohavebeensenttothepoorareasbythegovernmentwouldgrowintothecountry鈥檚backboneforgovernance,withadeepemotionalbondwithruralareas,possessingadeepknowledgeofthecountryside,andknowingwellfarmersandthechallengesfacedbypeoplethere.
Afavorablesocialenvironmenthasbeencreated.Practicehasproventhatthenationalcampaigntofightpovertyisinstrumentalinnurturingaharmoniousenvironmentfordevelopment,soundsocialmorals,andcultivatingcoresocialistvalues.Meanwhile,bysupportingthewesternregions鈥檇evelopment,theeasternareas,whichhavetakenaleadinChina鈥檚reformandopening-up,havealsoexpandedtheirdevelopmentspace,demonstratingChina鈥檚socialistvalueorientationtoachievecommonprosperity.
Centralstateorganshavealsoformedpairswithpoorcountiestoinstillthosecountieswithnewconcepts,ideas,technologies,andexposethemtonewmarkets.Thepairingmethodhasprovidedanimportantchannelforthecentraldepartmentsandenterprisestolearnaboutruralareasanddrawclosetheirrelationships,andalsoprovidedagoodplatformtocultivateofficials.Withwideparticipationoforganizationsandenterprisesofdifferentsectorsandindividualsinthefightagainstpoverty,socialharmonyhasbeenfurtherenhancedwithpeopleacrossthesocietybeingmobilizedtohelpthoseinpoverty.
China鈥檚experienceinpovertyalleviation,inparticularitstargetedpovertyalleviationpracticesandtheexperiencegleanedfromthem,hasproveninvaluabletotheinternationalcommunity.Tocopewiththetoughandcomplextaskfacingmostdevelopingcountries,Chinahasimplementedcomprehensivepovertyalleviationpolicies.
TheChinesegovernmenthasplayedaleadingroleinthecountry鈥檚povertyreductionefforts,whichhasalsoproveneffectiveinreversingtheglobalweakeningmomentuminpovertyalleviation.China鈥檚povertyassessmentmechanismforidentificationandtargetedalleviationstrategyhasbeendevelopedfromsuccessfultrialsimplementedonalargescaleandcombinesatop-downresponsibilitydivisionsystemandademocraticassessmentmechanismfromthebottomup.
Inhiscongratulatorylettertothe2017GlobalPovertyReductionandDevelopmentForum,UNSecretary-GeneralAnt贸nioGuterressaid,鈥淭argetedpovertyreductionstrategiesaretheonlywaytoreachthosefarthestbehindandachievetheambitioustargetssetoutinthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.鈥滱naPauladelaOCampos,advisoronruralpovertyreductionwiththeFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations,pointedoutinarecentinterviewwithChinesereportersthatChina鈥檚significantachievementsinpovertyreductioncouldbeascribedtothefactthatitsgovernmenthasgivenhighprioritytopovertyalleviationwithclearlysetgoals,andChinahassetagreatexampleforotherdevelopingcountriesinpovertyreduction.
FamousFrencheconomistMichelAgliettathoughtthatChina鈥檚successfulpracticesinpovertyalleviationareveryvaluableandshouldbepromotedworldwide.AlltheseindicatethattheXiJinping-proposedtargetedpovertyalleviationstrategyhasbeenheldinhighregardbytheinternationalcommunityandbeentakenasaneffectivewaytoaddresstheglobalpovertychallenge.China鈥檚fightagainstpovertyhasnotonlyboostedthecountry鈥檚confidenceinthepath,theory,system,andcultureofsocialismwithChinesecharacteristics,butalsofueledglobalprogressinthisfield.
Inthefollowingthreeyears,Chinawillcontinueitstargetedpovertyalleviationstrategyandfurtheritseffortstofightpoverty,givingprioritytospurringpovertyafflictedpeople鈥檚motivationtoshakeoffpoverty,andeventuallyeliminatepovertyinthecountry.C
HUANGCHENGWEIisdirectorofthenationalpublicityandeducationcenterforpovertyalleviationundertheStateCouncilLeadingGroupOfficeofPovertyAlleviationandDevelopment.