China’s Successful Practice in Eliminating Extreme Poverty Is a Great Contribution to the Cause of Global Poverty Alleviation

中国脱贫攻坚的成功实践是对世界减贫事业的巨大贡献

A Signed Article by Ambassador Cong Peiwu at Ottawa Life Magazine

丛培武大使在《渥太华生活》杂志发表署名文章

30 April 2021

2021年4月30日

I have noticed that people from all walks of life in Canada are very interested in the issue of sustainable development. Poverty eradication is the top priority of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a common challenge for the whole world. In the context of the arduous task of global poverty reduction and the widening gap between the rich and the poor in some countries, China will remain an advocator, facilitator, and contributor to the international cause of poverty reduction. While committed to eradicating its own poverty, China has made significant contributions to the global cause of poverty alleviation as well as human development and progress.

我注意到，加拿大各界人士很关心可持续发展议题。消除贫困是联合国2030年可持续发展议程的首要目标，也是全世界面临的共同挑战。在全球减贫任务艰巨、一些国家贫富分化加剧的背景下，中国坚持做国际减贫事业的倡导者、推动者和贡献者，在致力于消除自身贫困的同时，为全球减贫事业和人类发展进步作出了重大贡献。

China’s success in eliminating extreme poverty has greatly accelerated global poverty alleviation. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, China has fought a decisive battle against poverty that is unprecedented in scale, intensity, and the number of people it has benefited throughout the human history. At the end of 2020, China achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty – a key goal for the new era of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The 98.99 million people in rural areas who were living below the current poverty threshold all shook off poverty; all the 128,000 impoverished villages and 832 designated poor counties got rid of poverty. China has eliminated poverty in these regions. In February 2021, at the National Poverty Alleviation Summary and Commendation Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared that China had secured a comprehensive victory in the fight against poverty, and had completed the arduous task of eradicating extreme poverty – an outstanding and historic achievement. China is home to nearly one fifth of the world’s population. By eradicating extreme poverty, China realized a century-long aspiration of the Chinese people. It is a milestone in the history of the Chinese nation and the history of humankind. China has achieved the poverty alleviation goal set on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, significantly reducing the world’s impoverished population.

中国脱贫攻坚的成功实践，大大加快了全球减贫进程。中共十八大以来，中国组织实施了人类历史上规模空前、力度最大、惠及人口最多的脱贫攻坚战。到2020年底，中国如期完成新时代脱贫攻坚目标任务，现行标准下9899万农村贫困人口全部脱贫，832个贫困县全部摘帽，12.8万个贫困村全部出列，区域性整体贫困得到解决。今年2月，习近平总书记在全国脱贫攻坚总结表彰大会上庄严宣告中国脱贫攻坚战取得了全面胜利。中国完成了消除绝对贫困的艰巨任务，创造了又一个彪炳史册的人间奇迹。占世界人口近五分之一的中国全面消除绝对贫困，实现了中国人民的千年梦想、百年夙愿，是中华民族发展史上具有里程碑意义的大事件，也是人类减贫史乃至人类发展史上的大事件，提前10年实现了《联合国2030年可持续发展议程》减贫目标，显著缩小了世界贫困人口的版图。

China attaches importance to exchanges and cooperation in poverty reduction and has strongly supported the global cause of poverty alleviation. China has taken an active part in global poverty management, furthered exchanges and cooperation with other countries, and promoted a new model of international exchanges and cooperation on poverty alleviation, with mutual respect and mutually-beneficial cooperation at its core. This is how China contributes to building a global community of shared future that is free from poverty and blessed with common prosperity. Over the past 70 years and more, China has provided assistance in various forms to over 160 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe, and international organizations, provided debt relief for relevant countries, and helped a vast number of developing countries with their poverty alleviation. China has joined hands with various countries in a large number of international poverty alleviation cooperation projects that benefit local people. The country has also carried out exchanges and cooperation on poverty reduction in various forms, including building platforms, organizing training, and conducting think tank exchanges. Since 2012, China has held over 130 international training sessions, attended by officials from 116 countries and organizations.

中国重视减贫交流合作，有力支持了全球减贫事业。通过积极参与全球贫困治理，深化减贫领域交流合作，中国不断推动建立以相互尊重、合作共赢为核心的新型国际减贫交流合作关系，为构建没有贫困、共同发展的人类命运共同体作出了贡献。新中国成立70多年来，中国向亚洲、非洲、拉丁美洲和加勒比地区、大洋洲和欧洲等地区160多个国家和国际组织提供多种形式的援助，减免有关国家债务，为广大发展中国家减贫发展提供了帮助。中国同世界各国合作开展了大量惠及民生的国际减贫合作项目。此外，中国还通过搭建平台、组织培训、智库交流等多种形式，开展减贫交流，分享减贫经验。2012年以来，中国共举办130余期国际减贫培训班，来自116个国家（组织）的官员参加培训。

China has made unremitting efforts in poverty alleviation and explored a poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics, offering enlightenment to the international community’s battle against poverty. China’s successful practice and valuable experience in eliminating extreme poverty have deepened human understanding of poverty alleviation, enriched and extended the theory of international poverty alleviation, and has served as the reference for other countries to choose a suitable path of poverty alleviation. The precious experience includes: people-centered philosophy; highlighting poverty alleviation in the governance of China; eradicating poverty through development; pressing ahead with poverty alleviation based on reality; letting the poor play the principal role; pooling all resources to create synergy. A World Bank report suggests that by 2030, Belt and Road Initiative could help lift 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty across the world.

中国在减贫实践中不懈探索，走出了中国特色减贫道路，拓展了人类反贫困思路。中国消除绝对贫困的成功实践，深化了对人类减贫规律的认识，丰富发展了人类反贫困理论，为其他国家选择适合自己的减贫发展道路提供了参考和借鉴。这些宝贵经验包括：坚持以人民为中心；把减贫摆在治国理政突出位置；用发展的办法消除贫困；立足实际推进减贫进程；发挥贫困群众主体作用；汇聚各方力量形成强大合力。世界银行有关报告认为，到2030年，共建“一带一路”有望帮助全球760万人摆脱极端贫困、3200万人摆脱中度贫困。

The world today is experiencing a scale of change unseen in a century. The Covid-19 pandemic is still spreading around the world. And poverty, hunger and disease are undermining people’s pursuit for a better life. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the world population living in extreme poverty will exceed 1 billion by 2030 due to the epidemic. Thus, realizing global poverty eradication is still an ongoing battle. China and Canada have a lot to share in eradicating poverty. It is our common aspiration to pursue a better life. China is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in poverty reduction with other countries, including Canada, and to jointly promote international poverty reduction.

当今世界正处于百年未有之大变局，新冠肺炎疫情仍在全球蔓延，贫穷、饥饿、疾病侵蚀着人们追求美好生活的希望和信心。据联合国开发计划署数据，受疫情影响，2030年极端贫困总人数将超过10亿，实现全球减贫目标更加任重道远。中国和加拿大在消除贫困等领域有很多共同语言，追求美好生活是中加两国人民的共同愿望。中国愿同包括加在内的各国加强减贫交流合作，携手推进国际减贫进程。