Students in Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, going to school. Between 2012 and 2019 the province gave 27 billion Yuan in financial aid to 16.76 million students, meeting the goal of “not allowing a kid to miss school due to family financial issues.” Students in Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, going to school. Between 2012 and 2019 the province gave 27 billion Yuan in financial aid to 16.76 million students, meeting the goal of “not allowing a kid to miss school due to family financial issues.”
The year 2021 is extraordinary for Chinese people.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Owing to the CPC leading Chinese people to strive in solidarity for nearly a hundred years, especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Secretary General Xi Jinping as the core, China has adopted a series of extraordinary policy measures, organized and launched the most ambitious battle that benefits the largest population scale to alleviate poverty regardless of challenges, which is unprecedented in human history.
Only in this way can China acquire and accumulate rich and valuable experience in poverty alleviation and thus open a new chapter in history.
On February 25, 2021, Xi Jinping, President of China, solemnly declared that through the hard work of all Chinese people, China has achieved a comprehensive victory in the fight against poverty on the eve of the centenary anniversary of the founding of the CPC.
Over the past 8 years, more than 10 million people were lifted out of poverty in China on average each year, which is equivalent to the population of a medium-sized nation.
By the end of 2020, China, home to 1.4 billion people, has completed the historic mission of eradicating absolute poverty. By the current poverty standard, a total of 98.99 million disadvantaged living in rural areas have shaken off poverty. They have got more income and more secured access to food, clothing, compulsory education, basic medical care, housing and drinking water. China has achieved the poverty reduction goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years in advance, thus putting an end to the absolute poverty that has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years. All these achievements are hard-won for Chinese people.
There are 4 following reasons why China became successful in eliminating absolute poverty for the first time in human history.
First of all, the CPC has been playing an important role in mobilizing, leading, organizing, and implementing, and the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics has been remarkably instrumental in solidarity, collaboration, cooperation and concentration of all resources for great deeds, both of which are indispensable to the victory of poverty reduction.
Second, the Chinese government has adhered to the people-centered philosophy of development to the pursuit of common prosperity.
Third, correct policies such as targeted and development-oriented poverty alleviation have been promoted and practised.
Forth, the CPC has been determined to improve people’s lives and stimulate the inner motivations of the poor, and turn them into the impetus to overcome poverty.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, the Consulate-General of China in Johannesburg holds an online gallery on poverty alleviation with the theme of “Creating Better Lives, Creating Miracles” from June 18 to December 15.
The Consulate-General has selected more than 100 photos from over 30 provinces and regions and dozens of ethnic groups in China, in order to showcase the journey of poverty alleviation with documentary perspectives, specific figures and image memories, to tell the unforgettable stories in the process of poverty alleviation in the areas of industry, science, technology, education, and traffic, to vividly reflect the historic improvement of people’s lives in poverty-stricken areas, and to demonstrate how the CPC has led Chinese people to achieve such a great success acknowledged by the whole world.
Poverty reduction has always been the common aspiration of people of all countries and the common mission of the international community. It has been set as the top priority among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that what the world had done was “not ambitious enough” to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on poverty and the environment which were approved by world leaders in 2015.
It has remained tough to reach the goal of reducing the global extreme poverty rate to below 3 percent by 2030. Moreover, the first vision outlined in the African Union Agenda 2063 is to build a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development.
President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa said that poverty and other problems not only caused unspeakable sufferings to African people, but also prevented them from realizing their full potentials. Poverty is the primary issue that restricts Africa’s development. Charles Onunaiju, Director of the Center for Chinese Studies in Nigeria, said that poverty should not be seen as a manifest destiny, but as a social hazard. He believes that China has shown Africa the ways to eradicate poverty, and African countries can make full use of China’s experience to formulate their own policies to help the poor and change them into wealth creators in the great cause of Africa’s rejuvenation.
In the journey of fight against poverty, China has explored and developed a large number of new ideas, new strategies and new methods. The Chinese-style development, represented by the Chinese-style poverty alleviation, has been proved to be effective in practice. We would like to share our strategies with the world, and we also expect that the experience of China’s successful poverty alleviation might be used as reference for those countries and regions in the process of poverty reduction in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
China’s experience may also offer lessons to those governments, NGOs who are working hard to lift South Africa and even Africa out of poverty and those who are fighting against poverty, enabling them to see clearly the nature of poverty and boost their confidence in overcoming poverty.
Chinese and African people have always been good brothers and good partners. In spite of differences in the specific circumstances or environmental backgrounds, both China and Africa face the same nature of poverty. We intend to use this gallery to share the joy and experience of our success with our African brothers, so that they can gain a deep understanding of China and the governing concepts of the CPC.
This gallery also includes some real pictures of Chinese companies and overseas Chinese in South Africa joining hands with South African people to create better lives.
Africa is the cradle of the earliest human civilization, and it is the youngest continent in the world blessed with abundant natural resources. A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden. China has completely eliminated absolute poverty and is ready to work with other parties to promote the global poverty reduction and write a new chapter in the history of poverty reduction and eradication.
The covid-19 is still ravaging the world, and South Africa is battling against the third wave of the pandemic. We are grateful for your attention and support to the online gallery of China’s achievements in poverty alleviation. Meanwhile, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you happy and healthy.
China’s Poverty Alleviation Photo Gallery: www.cpapg.co.za
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