Poverty Alleviation with Chinese Characteristics

Huang Chengwei

As a Marxist political party， the Communist Party of China （CPC） has always fundamentally adhered to the people-centered stand. As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era， the CPC has launched and led a magnificent battle against poverty. General Secretary Xi Jinping personally deployed， led and supervised the battle， put forward a series of new ideas and concepts， and made a series of new decisions and arrangements， which formed Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation and provided fundamental guidance for the fight against poverty. Under the guidance of this scientific theory， the central government has improved the top-level design， and all localities and departments have implemented targeted poverty strategy and the fight against poverty has won all-round victory， and the road to poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics has been enriched and developed. The historical achievements in the fight against poverty show that Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation represents the latest achievement of Chinas anti-poverty theory and the path of poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics is the correct set of effective ways to combat poverty. Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation and the road to poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics have multiple global implications.

Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation fully demonstrates the power of truth in the great practice of poverty alleviation in the new era

Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation is based on profound theory and practice， originating from Marxist theory on anti-poverty and representing General Secretary Xi Jinpings theoretical crystallization from applying Marxist stance， viewpoints and methods to solve the poverty problem in China. The statement is an inheritance and development of the anti-poverty thoughts of the generation upon generation of CPC leaders and a sum-up of the CPCs combat against poverty over the past century. This statement was budding in the youth of General Secretary Xi Jinping， grew and yielded fruits in the long-term governance and thinking of Xi Jinping in localities， which determined that Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation had a solid foundation， a profound theoretical origin and distinctive characteristics of practice.

I. Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation has rich connotations

General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new ideas and concepts on addressing Chinas poverty， which has formed an ideological system with strict logic. These important ideas are embodied in eight aspects： First， standing at the height of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects， and realizing the “two centenary goals” and the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation， the important thought of “winning a decisive victory in the tough battle against poverty and sharing a well-off society in an all-round way” was put forward to define strategic positioning for poverty alleviation. Second， from the height of fulfilling the CPCs original aspiration and mission， strengthening the Partys overall leadership over poverty alleviation， and safeguarding the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee， the important thought of “adhering to the Partys leadership and strengthening organizational support” was put forward， which clarified the political organization support for poverty alleviation. Third， from the height of adhering to the ideological line of seeking truth from facts， comprehensively deepening the reform in poverty alleviation and building a poverty governance system， the important thought of “adhering to a precise strategy and improving the effectiveness of poverty alleviation” was put forward and thus the basic strategy for poverty alleviation was clarified. Fourth， proceeding from the requirements on how to bring into play the leading role of the government input and improve the efficiency and benefit of fund use， the important idea of “increasing investment and strengthening financial support” was put forward， which clarified the input guarantee for poverty alleviation. Fifth， proceeding from the requirements of bringing into play the advantages of the socialist system， fostering and practicing socialist core values， and building a comprehensive poverty alleviation pattern， the important thought of “adhering to social mobilization to pool strength from all parties” was put forward， which clarified the driving force of poverty alleviation. Sixth， proceeding from the requirements of clarifying the Partys political discipline and political rules， changing the working style， implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee to the letter， and meeting the objectives of substantially supporting the real poor and lifting the poor out of poverty， the important thought of “upholding strict requirements and promoting hard work” was put forward， which clarified the fundamental measures for achieving high-quality poverty alleviation. Seventh， proceeding from the requirements of respecting the principal status and creativity of the poor people to realize stable poverty alleviation and sustainable development， the important thought of “adhering to the central position of the masses and stimulating the endogenous driving force” was put forward， which clearly defined the fundamental purpose of poverty alleviation. Eighth， from the height of fulfilling the common mission of mankind， contributing Chinas plan to global poverty reduction， and enhancing Chinas say in global governance， the important thought of “working together to eradicate poverty and build a community with a shared future for mankind” was put forward， which set forth the value orientation of poverty alleviation.

II. Xi Jinpings important statement leads poverty alleviation to overall victory in the new era

Xis important statement on poverty alleviation fully embodies the CPCs concept of governance and the vision of the Communists. The important statement has deepened our understanding about Chinas poverty alleviation from the height of the nature of political party， the responsibility of governance and the consolidation of the system， and enriched and developed the Marxist outlook on development. This important statement gives a profound answer to the fundamental question that on whom， and for whom the development is relying， and by whom its fruits should be shared， which manifests the fundamental concept of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core， of relying on the people for development and doing everything for the people， and reflects the political commitment to the peoples livelihood， to poverty-stricken areas and to impoverished people， and demonstrates the fundamental stand of the CPC.

On February 25， 2021， General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared at the National Poverty Alleviation Summary and Commendation Conference that China has won an all-round victory in the battle against poverty. All the 98.99 million rural poor people by the current standard have been lifted out of poverty. All the 832 poor counties and 128 thousand poverty-stricken villages have been lifted out of poverty， and the overall regional poverty has been resolved， which puts a complete end to absolute poverty that has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years and creates another miracle shining through history. Under the guidance of Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation， the great achievements in poverty alleviation are the result of the continuous efforts made by the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in China. All rural poor people have been lifted out of poverty， the development of poverty-stricken areas has accelerated significantly， social undertakings have made headway， the general situation of the areas lifted out of poverty has taken a historic change， the people out of poverty have taken on a new look， the relations between the Party and the people， and between the officials and the people have obviously improved， and the Partys ruling foundation in the countryside has been consolidated. Moreover， China has realized poverty reduction goals on the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule， created a Chinese model of governance for poverty reduction and won wide acclaim of the international community for its significant contribution to the global cause of poverty reduction. The soundness and ideological strength of Xis important statement on poverty alleviation have been fully demonstrated in the great practice of poverty alleviation in the new era.

Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation provides a scientific guide for expanding the path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics

The pursuit of and exploration for the poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics run through the hundred-year anti-poverty history of the CPC. Ever since the founding of the Party， generations of the CPC central leadership have collectively led the Chinese people to conduct arduous exploration against poverty. China has made remarkable achievements in combat against poverty. The 18th National Congress of the CPC held in 2012 ushered socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new era. With Comrade Xi Jinping at the core， the CPC Central Committee jointly led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to fight the tough battle against poverty in the new era. In 2013 General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the concept of targeted poverty alleviation and innovated the poverty alleviation mechanism. In 2015， General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a conference on poverty alleviation and development and issued an order to win the tough battle against poverty. In 2017， the 19th National Congress of the CPC regarded targeted poverty alleviation as one of the three tough battles， sticked to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects， gathered force to conquer the fortress of deep poverty to fight a decisive battle against poverty and secure a victory. In 2020， in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating floods， the CPC Central Committee requested the whole Party and the whole nation to step up efforts with even greater determination to do a good job in coping with the extra challenges and confidently fighting to win the final victory against poverty. On February 25， 2021， General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly announced that China had won comprehensive victory of the anti-poverty campaign at the National Anti-poverty Summarization and Commendation Conference.

In the long-term fight against poverty， Chinas achievements in poverty alleviation and development have attracted great attention， which is mainly attributable to the fact that China has blazed a way to reduce poverty that conforms to its own national conditions and effectively addresses the problem of poverty. From the start of reform and opening up to the 18th National Congress of the CPC， the CPC members have made solid and in-depth exploration of the poverty reduction road with Chinese characteristics， which mainly includes： adhering to reform and opening up， which has laid the foundation for the implementation of large-scale poverty reduction strategies; maintaining long-term sustained economic growth， which provides essential material conditions for the country to implement the poverty reduction strategy and mobilize the whole society to solve the poverty problem in a targeted manner; putting in place a series of policies conducive to the development of low-income groups and a sound policy framework and system; formulating and adjusting anti-poverty strategies based on the development stage and the characteristics of the poor population， which has given rise to positive interaction between regional development and poverty alleviation; gradually promoting the establishment and improvement of the rural social security system， which provides institutional guarantee for the survival and meeting the needs for food and clothing of the poverty-stricken population; constantly enriching and expanding the ways and methods of poverty alleviation through development， and striking a balance among pursuing economic development， solving social problems， improving peoples livelihood and promoting social harmony; always making it the core of our work to cultivate and continuously improve the self-development ability of the people in poverty; combining poverty alleviation and development with the construction of grass-roots organizations; formulating and implementing national poverty alleviation plans， and continuously improving the implementation of anti-poverty strategies and policies under the guidance of the government.

The combat against poverty in the new era guided by Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation has enriched and developed the theory and practice on poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics in many aspects. First， it has clarified the strategic position of poverty alleviation and development from the height of overall development of socialism with Chinese characteristics， which has laid the ideological foundation for conducting the top-level design for poverty alleviation in the new era and promoting innovation in systems and mechanisms; second， it has made a profound sum-up of the valuable experience of Chinas poverty alleviation and development since the 18th National Congress of the CPC， and has enriched the contents about the path to poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics; third， it has pointed out the direction of global cooperation on poverty reduction from the perspective of working together to eradicate poverty and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The great practice and achievements of poverty alleviation in the new era have greatly expanded the path to poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics， whose rich connotations are mainly reflected in the following aspects： the centralized and unified leadership of the Party is the political organization guarantee; the philosophy of people-centered development and unswervingly following the path of common prosperity is the direction of development; continuing to bring into play the political advantages of Chinas socialist system in pooling strengths to handle major issues is the institutional support; sticking to targeted poverty alleviation strategy and eliminating the roots of poverty through development are the scientific way; sticking to stimulating the poverty-stricken areas and the vast number of poor people to lift themselves out of poverty is the impetus for anti-poverty; sticking to fostering a strong atmosphere in the society to help people in need is the ethos; sticking to being realistic， pragmatic， earnest and persistent when  facing up to challenges is the quality guarantee; and sticking to working together to build a community with a shared future for mankind is the value pursuit.

Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation and the path to poverty reduction with Chinese Characteristics have multiple global implications

The eradication of poverty is the basic goal of better human development. Over the past few decades， significant progress has been made in global poverty reduction and overall poverty has been alleviated， but the eradication of extreme poverty in all forms remains the goal of global joint efforts for 2030. China has made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation， and especially under the guidance of Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation， China has completely eradicated absolute poverty and blazed a path of poverty reduction with its own characteristics， holding multiple global implications.

First， it has strengthened the global resolve and confidence to build a community with a shared future for mankind free of poverty and for common development. Globally， the problem of poverty is a severe challenge encountering all countries， especially the developing countries. Over the past 70-plus years， global poverty reduction has made significant progress， but there is still a long way to go to reduce poverty. According to the current poverty standard， China has lifted 77 million rural poor people out of poverty through reform and opening up over the past decades. According to the poverty standard set by the World Bank， the number of Chinese people lifted out of poverty accounts for over 70% of the global total over the same period. In particular， amid the COVID-19 pandemic and against the backdrop of the growing divide between the rich and the poor in the world and the still grim situation of poverty reduction， China has fulfilled the poverty reduction goal set in the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule. With more than 10 million people being lifted out of poverty every year， China has given a strong impetus to advancing global poverty reduction. As the worlds largest developing country， China has lifted nearly 100 million people out of poverty and brought its 1.4 billion people into a well-off society， which is not only a great contribution to human development， but also has set a benchmark and example for the developing countries and firmed up the determination and confidence of the whole world to eradicate poverty and promote balanced development. General Secretary Xi Jinping， in view of the development of mankind， has made the proposal on building a community with a shared future for mankind free of poverty and for common development， which has pointed out the direction for international cooperation on poverty reduction and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Notably， an important goal of pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative advocated by General Secretary Xi Jinping is to help the countries along the Belt and Road to get out of poverty and achieve economic growth. Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation and the poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics will play an important guiding role in poverty reduction in the countries along the “Belt and Road”.

Second， it has better demonstrated the advantages of the political system of pursuing socialism with Chinese characteristics. The establishment of a comprehensive socialist system of poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics has provided an institutional guarantee for the smooth progress of poverty alleviation. The success of reducing poverty with Chinese characteristics has fully proved that there are multiple reasons behind poverty， and effective anti-poverty strategy must be oriented to the needs of the people in poverty; the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation should be implemented with the concept of comprehensive poverty alleviation so as to realize the organic connection between the effective supply of poverty alleviation resources and the actual needs of the people in poverty. This is an effective means to combat poverty and a fundamental solution to the problem. The combination of comprehensive and targeted poverty alleviation is a concrete manifestation of the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics in poverty reduction and development. Meanwhile， giving full play to the leading role of the government in poverty reduction is another important manifestation of the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. First， it has brought into play the principal role of the government in the whole process of poverty reduction， including poverty identification， intervention， exit， and evaluation of the results. Second， it has increased special funds for poverty alleviation at all levels of finance， and give priority to the use of funds for poverty alleviation. Third， the institutional arrangement of multi-level collaboration between governments characterized by planning by the central government， the provinces taking overall responsibility， and cities （prefectures） and counties implementing plans to improve the governments overall efficiency in poverty alleviation， has arouse peoples enthusiasm for and form a synergy in poverty alleviation， and kept up efforts to improve the overall poverty alleviation pattern featuring interaction between the government， the market and the society as well as linkage among poverty alleviation through special programs， through industrial development and based on non-governmental forces， so as to fundamentally remove poverty.

Third， it has promoted the Sinicization of Marxist anti-poverty theory and the innovative development of global poverty governance theory. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out， “Eliminating poverty， improving peoples livelihood and realizing common prosperity are the essential requirements of socialism and the important mission of our Party.” This statement not only points out the development path of eliminating poverty， continuously improving peoples livelihood，  gradually realizing common prosperity， and thus promoting the development of the laws of socialist construction， but also calls for taking the improvement of peoples livelihood and pursuit of common prosperity as the basis of the rule by Party， and taking the victory of the tough battle against poverty as an important measure to consolidate the ruling foundation， which represents a new development in understanding the laws of the Partys rule. Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation has enriched and developed Marxist theory on anti-poverty. For example， stressing the leadership of the Party in the fight against poverty is actually a development of the political economy perspective of the Marxist theory on anti-poverty， that is， recognizing poverty by proceeding from its dual attributes of economy and politics. The dual nature of poverty in economy and politics is the theoretical basis for the CPC to carry out political inspection and special inspection on poverty alleviation， and an important reason for putting poverty alleviation into a prominent position in state governance. For another example， regarding development as the fundamental path of poverty alleviation is the latest development of Marxist theory on anti-poverty concerning the development of productive forces taken as a fundamental solution to poverty. Xi Jinpings important statement on poverty alleviation has enriched the paths and values of pursuing Marxist theory on anti-poverty. For example， General Secretary Xi Jinping innovatively put forward the important idea of targeted poverty alleviation， which has reshaped the value， working mode and organizational mode of Chinas anti-poverty efforts. In addition， Xi Jinpings statement on poverty alleviation puts forward， from the perspective of human development， the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind free of poverty and for common development. It embodies a deep understanding of poverty， accurate grasp of the rules of poverty governance， and great innovation in targeted poverty alleviation and efforts in lifting people out of poverty; reflects the CPCs value pursuit in anti-poverty; and represents an important original contribution to the anti-poverty theory of Marxism. The important thoughts of poverty alleviation through endogenous development， joint efforts for poverty alleviation， and poverty alleviation through institutional arrangement in Xi Jinpings important statement construct the theory on anti-poverty in Chinas rural areas at multiple levels. These ideas highly targeted， policy-oriented and practical for Chinas poverty reduction have innovatively transcended the international poverty governance theory.

Huang Chengwei is Director of China Poverty Alleviation and Development Center， National Administration for Rural Revitalization;

Director of Poverty Governance Research Center， Peking University