Han Jun: Accurately and Comprehensively Understanding the Global Significance of China's Poverty Alleviation Task Force [1]
At the 19th G20 Summit, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech titled "Building a Just World of Common Development," emphasizing:
"The problem of poverty in developing countries can be solved, and 'weak birds can take wing early and fly high.'[1] If China can succeed, other developing countries can also succeed. This is the world significance of China's successful victory in the battle against poverty." President Xi's powerful words have injected great confidence and momentum into the "Global South" currently striving to shake off poverty. They demonstrate a responsible major country's commitment to the cause of global development and contribute Chinese wisdom to advancing common global prosperity.
Great practices produce great theories, and great theories guide great practices. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with a great sense of mission, wisdom, and compassion, has created a historic milestone in human poverty reduction that "shines through the ages." He has constructed a complete set of effective policy, work, and institutional systems, forging a path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics and forming a theory of anti-poverty with Chinese characteristics, writing a brilliant chapter that "China should make a greater contribution to humanity." The theory and practice of the battle against poverty have become one of the most iconic political, economic, livelihood, and social achievements since the 18th CPC National Congress. 2024 marks the fourth year since winning the battle against poverty and entering the transition period; China has firmly held the bottom line of preventing any large-scale return to poverty. Practice has proven that the results of China's poverty alleviation can withstand the test of history and the people, and the theory of anti-poverty with Chinese characteristics has become a treasure for the world's poverty reduction cause. We must accurately and comprehensively understand the world significance of China's battle against poverty. In the process of strengthening exchanges and cooperation with other countries, we should work together to advance the international poverty reduction process and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity that is free of poverty and characterized by common development.
China's Battle Against Poverty Holds Significant World Significance
For over 100 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have progressed from liberation to solving the problem of food and clothing, from achieving a basic "moderately prosperous society" [2] to a "comprehensively moderately prosperous society," and from shaking off poverty to advancing Chinese-path modernization. China has made major contributions to the human cause of anti-poverty through its own development.
The success of China's poverty alleviation has significantly shrunk the map of the world's impoverished population. Since the reform and opening up, more than 800 million people in China have successfully Escaped poverty, contributing over 70% to global poverty reduction. A research report published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2019 pointed out that if China were excluded, the global impoverished population would not have decreased, but actually increased. In a context where global poverty remains severe and the gap between rich and poor is widening in some countries, China's victory in the battle against poverty and its achievement of the poverty reduction goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years ahead of schedule have greatly accelerated the global poverty reduction process and written a new chapter in the history of human anti-poverty efforts.
The success of China's poverty alleviation has bolstered the confidence of the "Global South" in escaping poverty. As a large developing country with a massive population and a weak foundation, it was extraordinary and extremely difficult for China to completely rid itself of absolute poverty. It is precisely this difficulty that gives China's experience a broad world significance. In 2012, China's per capita GDP was $6,300, while Brazil, also part of the "Global South," already had a per capita GDP of over $12,000. Over eight years, China's per capita GDP grew at an average annual rate of 8.1%, exceeding $10,400 in 2020. China achieved rapid development synchronized with large-scale poverty reduction and the elimination of absolute poverty. This is a remarkable miracle and the best footnote to the idea that "if China can succeed, other developing countries can also succeed." Peruvian President Dina Boluarte previously stated in an interview with Chinese journalists: "I hope to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and build a country with long-term prospects. I hope we can also become a country like China." Khon Kaen Province, the fourth most populous province in Thailand, drew on China's concept of targeted poverty alleviation and achieved remarkable results. Local officials believe that China has not only let the world understand the importance of targeted poverty alleviation and see the possibility of escaping poverty, but has also provided the courage and experience to solve the problem of poverty. China's poverty reduction cause has achieved unparalleled greatness; international public opinion has widely recognized and praised it, making it well-established, renowned, and influential globally.
The results of China's poverty alleviation have stood the test of history and practice, proving to the world that poverty can be ended and overcome. After completely winning the battle against poverty, the Party Central Committee established a five-year transition period to "help them mount the horse and see them off for a while" [3] for those in poverty-alleviated areas and populations. This involved promoting the adjustment and optimization of assistance policies on the basis of overall stability, and continuously improving the dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent a return to poverty. This ensures early detection, early intervention, and early assistance to promptly eliminate the risks of falling back into poverty. By the end of 2024, the country has cumulatively assisted over 5 million monitoring objects to stably eliminate the risk of returning to poverty, and assistance measures have been implemented for the rest. All 832 formerly poverty-stricken counties have cultivated and formed leading industries with prominent local characteristics and strong driving capabilities. the scale of labor employment for the population out of poverty reached 33.052 million people. In the first three quarters of 2024, the per capita disposable income of farmers in poverty-alleviated counties reached 12,384 yuan, a real increase of 6.5% year-on-year. The bottom line of preventing large-scale return to poverty has been firmly maintained. This also fully explains to the world that poverty is not only conquerable, but can also be intercepted and prevented from recurring, provided that a reliable and effective follow-up assistance mechanism is established.
China's Battle Against Poverty Has Explored a New Path for Human Poverty Reduction
Eliminating poverty is a global challenge. Countries have different national conditions and stages of development, and thus different standards, methods, and paths for poverty reduction. China's poverty reduction is based on its own national conditions, deeply grasping the characteristics of Chinese poverty and the laws of poverty governance: "Always adhering to a people-centered approach, solemnly promising 'never to leave a single impoverished area or a single impoverished person behind.' Persisting in targeted poverty alleviation, implementing measures tailored to specific villages, households, and individuals. Persisting in poverty alleviation through economic development, actively guiding talent, funds, and technology to flow toward impoverished areas. Persisting in poverty alleviation by promoting the development of characteristic local industries, helping impoverished areas improve infrastructure, and developing industries with 'blood-making' functions [4] suited to local conditions. Persisting in poverty alleviation by promoting common prosperity, driving developed regions to 'pair up' with less-developed regions for mutual assistance." The valuable experience China explored in its poverty reduction practice belongs both to China and the world, expanding human thinking on anti-poverty and exploring new paths for human poverty reduction.
Always adhering to a people-centered approach. General Secretary Xi Jinping affectionately noted: "I have worked in China's villages, counties, cities, provinces, and the central government. Poverty alleviation has been an important part of my work and a major task I was determined to accomplish." The Communist Party of China is a party with lofty aspirations; the ultimate goal of the CPC's struggle is to ensure that all people lead a good life. Since entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee has treated the battle against poverty as a "hard task" that must be completed to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve the First Centenary Goal. It was integrated into the overall planning of economic and social development, and a series of extraordinary policy measures were introduced. This in itself was a great choice made by putting the people at the center. During the eight years of the battle against poverty, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired seven central symposiums on poverty alleviation and made over 50 deep-level field visits to investigate poverty alleviation work, traveling to all 14 contiguous areas of extreme poverty in the country. The entire Party worked as one; every level—province, city, county, township, and village—signed "military orders" [5] and responsibility statements, implementing a system where the "top leader" takes responsibility for poverty alleviation. The vast number of Party members and cadres rushed to their missions with passion and fulfilled their promises with action. More than 3 million first secretaries and village-stationed cadres took root on the front lines, working hard and pragmatically. In this "battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder," more than 1,800 Party members and cadres sacrificed their precious lives for the cause of poverty reduction, practicing the Party's promise to the people through concrete actions. It can be said that the battle against poverty in the New Era profoundly illustrates the people-centered development thought of the Chinese Communists; it is the most concentrated, full, and vivid manifestation of the CPC's fundamental tenet of "serving the people heart and soul" in the New Era. Looking at the long history of human struggle against poverty, eliminating poverty is by no means a natural process of economic development; it requires choices and trade-offs by the entire society and state. China's practice shows that only by truly putting the interests of the people first can arduous poverty reduction efforts have unwavering momentum, a clear direction, and strong institutional guarantees.
Persisting in targeted poverty alleviation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Poverty alleviation and development must focus on precision; the success or failure lies in precision." There are a hundred kinds of poverty and a thousand types of hardship; the problem of poverty is diverse and complex. We must base our strategies on national conditions and scientifically formulate poverty reduction plans according to different developmental stages and socio-economic levels. At the end of 2012, China's impoverished population accounted for about 10% of the total, entering the internationally recognized "most difficult stage" of poverty reduction. Since the reform and opening up, the "trickle-down effect" of poverty reduction driven by rural economic structural reforms and economic growth had gradually diminished, and the impoverished masses generally hoped for a greater sense of fulfillment. The "targeted poverty alleviation" strategy proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping came at the right time, answering a series of difficult questions such as "who to help, who will help, how to help, and how to exit." It defined the operational poverty alleviation indicators of the "two non-worries and three guarantees," [6] transitioned the path of poverty alleviation from "flood irrigation" to "targeted drip irrigation," shifted resources from fragmented to unified and concentrated use, and changed the method from a focus on "blood transfusions" to "blood-making." It can be said that without the theoretical innovation of "precision," there would be no miracle of nearly 100 million people escaping poverty in eight years. China's practice shows that "one key opens one lock"; the occurrence and evolution of poverty have their own characteristics and laws. Poverty reduction must proceed from reality, targeting different impoverished populations and causes of poverty, adapting to the time, the trend, and the locality. Only by constantly promoting institutional and practical innovation through theoretical innovation can ideal poverty governance efficiency be achieved. UN Secretary-General António Guterres believes that "the targeted poverty alleviation strategy is the only way to help the poor and achieve the ambitious goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; China's experience can provide a useful reference for other developing countries."
Persisting in poverty alleviation through economic development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Development is the general solution for shedding the cloak of poverty" and "Treat development as the fundamental path to solving poverty." The problem of poverty is, in the final analysis, a problem of development. In the history of the global struggle against poverty, there have been various theoretical and practical explorations. Some believe that poverty can be eliminated by relying on welfare relief; others believe that with the continuous growth of material wealth, the problem will be naturally solved even without social policy intervention. However, practice has proven that relying solely on relief leads to a decline in economic efficiency, while relying solely on growth leads to a widening gap between rich and poor. Seeking poverty alleviation divorced from economic development is like "climbing a tree to catch a fish," [7] while focusing on growth without regard for the development of the impoverished will inevitably fall into a "lame economy," eventually affecting healthy sustainable development. Only poverty alleviation within economic development is the fundamental path to escaping poverty. For the impoverished masses, only by mastering a skill, participating in an industry, and supporting their families and serving society through their own efforts can they firmly hold the "golden key" to a happy life in their own hands. For impoverished areas, only when there is industry and employment, combining internal and external factors, can development occur. For national development, only by patching up the shortfalls in economic and social development and completely eliminating poverty can we promote the growth of the total national economy, smooth the urban-rural economic cycle, and finally lay a solid foundation for the sustained and healthy development of the national economy. China's practice shows that using economic development to drive poverty alleviation and using poverty alleviation to promote economic development is the most effective way to shake off poverty. Only by allowing impoverished areas and people to develop can we continuously satisfy the people's aspirations for a better life and provide lasting power for economic and social development and the improvement of people's livelihoods.
Persisting in poverty alleviation by promoting the development of characteristic local industries. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized:
“Poverty alleviation through industrial development is the most direct and effective method; it is also a long-term strategy to enhance the ‘blood-making’ function [8] of impoverished areas and help the masses achieve employment locally.” Developing specialized industries is the policy for “treating the root cause” of poverty. Although many impoverished areas are relatively backward economically, they possess rich natural resources, specialized production techniques, and unique folk cultures—all of which are potential advantages supporting the development of local specialized industries. During the period of the battle against poverty, through industrial poverty alleviation, a large number of specialized and advantageous industries began to take shape, such as Gannan navel oranges, Luochuan apples, Nujiang false cardamoms, Dingxi potatoes, Tibetan highland barley, Qinghai yaks, and Xinjiang walnuts and jujubes. In the developmental stage of effectively linking the consolidation and expansion of poverty alleviation achievements with rural revitalization [9], many specialized industries have not only become “golden carrying poles” [10] for the relocated masses to increase their incomes and achieve wealth, but have also grown into pillar industries in certain locales, playing a vital role in advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. Developing specialized industries in impoverished areas can directly bring economic benefits to those regions and the masses; more importantly, the process of industrial development is an essential process for excavating the developmental potential of impoverished areas, stimulating the internal drive of the impoverished masses, and empowering them with the capacity for independent development. This transforms “blood transfusions” into “blood-making,” fundamentally ensuring that the effects of poverty alleviation are continuous and stable. China’s poverty reduction practice demonstrates that the “specialty card” of underdeveloped regions can be converted into an “advantage card.” Looking across the globe, the various specialized industries of developing countries likewise possess enormous developmental potential. As long as specialized industries in underdeveloped areas are nurtured and developed according to local conditions, stimulating the internal drive for self-reliance and arduous struggle [11] among the local masses and closely linking them to the industrial chain, underdeveloped areas will surely be able to overcome poverty and share in the fruits of economic development.
We must persist in alleviating poverty while promoting common prosperity. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “China will continue to consolidate and expand the achievements of the battle against poverty, solidly promote common prosperity, and continuously improve the level of people’s well-being.” Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics and is our goal of struggle; it is also a historical process of the first-to-get-rich leading those who lag behind [12], advancing in stages and echelons. Winning the battle against poverty is the prerequisite and foundation for achieving common prosperity. Taking the realization of common prosperity as the goal, gathering all parties to form a powerful collective force, and narrowing the developmental gap between developed and underdeveloped regions is a precious experience from our victory in the battle against poverty. Furthermore, it is a consistently applied and powerful guarantee in the process of consolidating and expanding poverty alleviation achievements. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party has relied on a rigorous organizational system and efficient operating mechanisms to extensively and effectively mobilize and condense forces from all sides. We have constructed a “Grand Poverty Alleviation” framework [13] in which the government, society, and the market promote progress in synergy, while specialized, sectoral, and social poverty alleviation efforts supplement one another. This process has promoted the mutual integration and achievement of advanced elements from developed regions—such as technology, capital, and management—with advantageous elements from underdeveloped regions—such as labor, natural resources, and market potential. It has formed a social participation mechanism for poverty alleviation where “everyone is willing, everyone is able, and everyone has the capacity” to contribute. It has carried forward the fine Chinese tradition of aiding the poor and the needy and of mutual assistance [14], stimulated the positive energy of the whole society toward goodness and progress, and manifested the Socialist Core Values. China’s poverty reduction practice shows that poverty alleviation and reduction is an arduous and complex systemic project; only by mobilizing and condensing a majestic anti-poverty force and standing together through thick and thin can the chronic malady of poverty finally be overcome.
Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity Featuring Common Development
Eliminating poverty is a common goal for all countries and an urgent demand that resonates widely across the “Global South.” China has always been an active advocate, a powerful promoter, and a continuous contributor to the cause of global poverty reduction. Currently, the world economy is treading a difficult path amid a slow recovery. The World Economic Outlook report released by the International Monetary Fund last October maintained the 2024 global economic growth forecast at 3.2%. Against this backdrop, poverty reduction in the “Global South” faces greater challenges. Global hunger levels have remained high for several consecutive years; in 2023, approximately 713 million to 757 million people faced hunger, with a median of 733 million—an increase of about 152 million compared to 2019. Around 1.1 billion people live in extreme poverty, making the task of poverty reduction long and arduous. We must thoroughly implement the important concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, actively share our experiences from the battle against poverty with all countries, and work with the international community to help more developing countries find poverty reduction paths suited to their own national conditions, joining hands to push forward the international cause of poverty reduction.
We must continuously consolidate and expand poverty alleviation achievements to further strengthen the confidence of developing countries in shaking off poverty. Poverty is a chronic malady of human society. A “chronic malady” implies that it is not only difficult to treat and cure over a long period, but also prone to recurrence. The year 2025 is the final year of the five-year transition period for effectively linking the consolidation and expansion of poverty alleviation achievements with rural revitalization. We must place importance on preventing the risk of large-scale plunges back into poverty for entire villages or townships, and we must keep a close watch on every monitored household and every individual at risk of returning to poverty. We must identify and assist every such case, ensuring that all who should be included are included and all who should be helped are helped, dynamically eliminating risks. After the transition period ends, we will stand at a higher historical dimension, taking the prevention of large-scale returns to poverty as a long-term and permanent baseline task. We will improve the routine mechanism for preventing returns to poverty covering the rural population, as well as the tiered and classified assistance system for the low-income rural population and underdeveloped areas. We will promote the perfect integration of anti-poverty-return work with rural revitalization, planning and advancing them as an integrated whole.
We must deepen international cooperation in poverty reduction to provide structural support for the continued advancement of the global poverty reduction cause. As a member of the “Global South,” China has always actively carried out South-South cooperation, supporting and helping the vast number of developing countries, especially the least developed ones, to eliminate poverty. Following China’s victory in the battle against poverty, many countries have expressed a strong desire to learn from our experience. We must tell the story of China’s poverty reduction well and allow the world to understand our experience. Agricultural technology is a powerful tool for conducting international agricultural cooperation and promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Currently, when conducting international cooperation, we place more emphasis on implementing livelihood projects that are “grounded” [15] and win people’s hearts. Sharing and promoting applicable technologies such as Juncao [16] and hybrid rice can often play the role of “using four taels to move a thousand catties” (small efforts yielding great results) [17]. We must continue to promote the “going global” of agricultural materials, machinery, and techniques, implement agricultural foreign aid projects effectively, and bring the hearts of the people in Belt and Road partner countries closer together, bringing a real sense of gain to the people of more developing countries.
The international situation is intertwined with change and disorder; global challenges such as climate change, food security, and energy security emerge one after another. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The ancients in China spoke of ‘crossing the river in the same boat’ (tongzhou gongji); today, the international community needs to ‘act in the same boat on the same planet’ (tongqiu gongji).” We must accurately and comprehensively understand the global significance of China’s battle against poverty. On the basis of holding the bottom line of preventing large-scale returns to poverty, we will go all out to promote Chinese-path modernization, lighting the fire of ideas for the construction of a just world of common development. We will promote the “Global South” joining hands to achieve revitalization through development, making a greater contribution to the building of a better world.
(The author is the Party Branch Secretary and Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) Source: People’s Daily (January 15, 2025, Page 09) Online Editor: Hui Hui