Poverty is a global issue, and beating it is something that other countries can learn from China. Beijing is co-hosting a two-day international forum on poverty alleviation with the World Bank, with the theme of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also sent their congratulatory letters, which were read at the forum's opening ceremony on Thursday.
On track to reaching a major goal, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty in the last four decades. And it aims to eradicate the country's poverty by 2020, a miracle many other countries hope to emulate.
Leaders of global organizations share what can be learned from China.
The Chinese government is co-hosting a two-day international forum on poverty alleviation with the World Bank in Beijing, with the theme of building a community with a shared future for mankind from November 1 to 2. /CGTN Photo
“Two elements here are important. First is China's reform and opening-up program, which is the foundation for the rampant growth and helping lift a lot of people out of poverty. And second, a focus of sustained and targeted poverty reduction throughout the reform period. So, that's both the opening-up and the focus on poverty,” said Jim Yong Kim, president of World Bank Group.
"It's China's leadership in designing a developing process that in many ways built into its own strategies in the past 40 years' reform and opening. That's development should leave no one behind. This is one of the powerful commitments for the Chinese leadership and it is the driving principles," said UN's Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner.
But on the other hand, China is also reaching out through multiple poverty-alleviation projects overseas. The China Development Bank, a major policy bank, says it has now invested some 80 billion yuan (about 11 billion US dollars) into projects of its kind in countries along the Belt and Road.
"For example, to support poverty alleviation in Indonesia, we've helped improve the local palm trees. And in Malawi, we're involved in developing its cotton industry via equity Investment and it will be mutually beneficial when the high-quality cotton is imported to countries like China," said chief economist Liu Yong.
More than 400 participants including officials, business leaders and scholars from 51 countries and 11 organizations have joined the discussion to find poverty reduction solutions. /Photo by China Today
Uzbekistan launched its latest round of reforms last year. With more than 10 percent of the country's population still struggling with poverty, it is also seeking international cooperation in this field.
"Uzbekistan is working with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and China Development Bank. Two years ago, we launched new tunnel construction. Also the China development bank is supporting our project of building affordable houses in rural areas. And just last week, we had a Central Asia Forum on technology. We agree to create Chinese-Uzbekistan Innovation center," said Akmal Burkhanov, director of the development strategy center in Uzbekistan.
China still has three years to lift the remaining 30 million rural people out of poverty, but the message from the forum is clear: The confidence of the Chinese government and the international community is strong.