Editor's note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language opinion column "The Real Point."    

"I am confident of achieving the goal of poverty eradication this year," Chinese President Xi Jinping said during an inspection tour in Ankang, Shaanxi Province on Tuesday.

According to China's 13th five-year plan, the country will wipe out absolute poverty and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the end of this year.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic put a new twist to this battle against poverty. With about 200 days left until its self-imposed deadline, all eyes from the international community are on China to find out whether it can reach its goal on time. 

President Xi Jinping's inspection tour in Shaanxi this week suggests that China is on course to secure victory in poverty alleviation.

Developing local industries is the fundamental way for China to eliminate poverty. Xi was impressed by the county of Zhashui where businesses in the unassuming wood ear mushroom sector are booming. 

Industries with distinctive local characteristics provide a firm foothold for China's poverty alleviation efforts. 

Although some poverty-stricken areas found it hard to sell their agricultural products during the COVID-19 pandemic, China's sophisticated e-commerce platforms provided a solution.

During his tour in Shaanxi, President Xi Jinping made specific plans for the next step of China's poverty alleviation work. Xi also said the mission should lift the remaining impoverished population out of poverty, while consolidating the goals it has already met with all possible measures.

"If you look at the 40 years' experience in terms of the reform and opening up, one number that always stands out during this time of successful economic and social development is that China has successfully lifted 800 million people out of poverty and I think that's really outstanding," said Nicholas Roselini, the United Nations Development Program Resident Representative in China. 

If China can meet its poverty relief goal within this year, it will have achieved poverty reduction on the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. That will certainly have a significant impact on the world.

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