A recent Financial Times article questioning whether China has really ended poverty has reignited debate on China's poverty alleviation record.

Robert Walker, a professor at Beijing Normal University and an emeritus fellow at the University of Oxford, says many Western discussions overlook the evolving nature of poverty itself. He argues that China's poverty alleviation achievements should be viewed as part of a broader development process.

He says China's achievement in eradicating extreme poverty in rural areas is real and historically significant, stressing that poverty should be understood as a dynamic process linked to a country's stage of development.

Here's why he believes China's long-term development planning gives it the ability to continue reducing poverty risks in the years ahead.