Africa can learn from China’s poverty alleviation

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The 24th Wanshou Forum commenced in Beijing on October 24 attracted some 60 party leaders, scholars and journalists from 12 African countries for discussions on "poverty reduction experience", "China-Africa cooperation on poverty reduction" and other issues with Chinese representatives.

CGTN's Closer to China interviewed Efem Nkam Ubi of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and Hlengiwe Buhle Mkhize, congresswoman and member of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa.

African representatives come to China's Guizhou Province to draw experience from local poverty relief efforts, August 16, 2018. /VCG Photo

Ubi attributed China's progress in poverty reduction to the endeavors of each administrative level. "It's important for Africans to learn from China. China has made great progress in poverty alleviation at different levels, at the central, provincial, city, county, township and village," said Ubi.

He recognized the efforts of local governments and described the model as "bottom-up" and "effective" which is different from that of African countries, including Nigeria itself.

At the Wanshou Forum, when asked what progress she is expecting from cooperation with China, Hlengiwe Buhle Mkhize recalled South African President Ramaphosa's strong words on combating corruption.

She said her country is tackling the issue in state-owned entities and nobody will be left untouched if he or she had been corrupt and found to be behaving in a questionable manner, and the country is working hard towards creating an atmosphere of good governance, transparency and openness.

South African President Ramaphosa takes an interview during his stay in Beijing for the FOCAC Beijing Summit, September 4, 2018. /VCG Photo

Prior to the meeting, African representatives to the forum also went to Zhengding County and Xingtang County in Central China's Hebei Province for field research and a close look at the outcomes of local poverty relief campaigns.