By H.E. Wang Qing, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone
On September 25, 2015, the United Nations members adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whose primary goal is to “eradicate all forms of poverty in the world” by 2030 (SDG1). In late November of the same year, China convened the Central Conference on Poverty Alleviation and Development, during which President Xi Jinping set clear objectives and launched five key measures through which people would be lifted out of poverty. After years of efforts, all of China’s nearly 100 million rural residents living below the current poverty line cast off poverty. China has accomplished the arduous task of eradicating extreme poverty, created a Chinese miracle in poverty alleviation. With the coming of the 38th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17, I would like to share some China’s experiences in Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development.
China is home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s population. And it has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty since its Reform and Opening Up in 1978, accounting for more than 70 percent of global poverty reduction during the same period. China’s overall victory in poverty alleviation has created a new model for poverty governance and made a significant contribution to the global poverty relief process. Our experience can be summarized into two key points:
The first experience is to always put people at the center and unswervingly pursue prosperity for all. We have invested nearly 1.6 trillion RMB to make sure that all people can share the fruits of development. We have built the world’s largest social security system. Nearly 20 million people living in poverty have received subsistence allowances and special assistance. More than 24 million people with disabilities have received cost-of-living allowance and nursing care subsidies. 320 central governmental departments have been designated by issuing preferential policies and funding, bringing together the common will and action of the whole society to participate in poverty alleviation. It is a framework with the full participation of multiple players from different regions, sectors, departments and businesses.
The second experience is to use development as the fundamental approach to eliminating poverty. We have improved conditions and boosted capacity for development, bringing about a shift in poverty alleviation from simply injecting help into poverty-stricken areas to enabling them to help themselves.We built or renovated 1.1 million kilometers of rural paved road. Reliability of rural power grids in impoverished areas has reached 99%. About 35,000 settlement communities and 2.66 million housing units were built for the resettled family. We have maintained keen focus on education as an essential vehicle for moving people out of poverty and toward prosperity, emphasizing that no child should be deprived of education or opportunities and lose out before the race has even begun because they are poor. We have worked hard to give every child the chance to excel in life, and done our best to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
The world is a community with a shared future. No one and no country should be left behind on the road to prosperity. As an active advocate, strong driver and continuous contributor to the global poverty relief process, China has always been committed to engaging in international cooperation on poverty reduction. The Global Development Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2021 also put poverty alleviation as a priority of cooperation. We have strengthened exchanges of experience in governance, trained over 400,000 talents of all kinds for more than 180 countries and regions, and enhanced the capacity building of relevant countries in poverty alleviation. We have carry out agricultural technical assistance, implement projects such as well drilling for water supply, and hybrid rice promoting to enhance local agricultural production capacity in many developing countries. We jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road Initiative by assisting developing countries in strengthening infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, creating a large number of jobs so as to promote their economic and social development. Under the framework of South-South cooperation, we have implemented over 150 projects in 60 countries, benefiting more than 30 million people.
China and Sierra Leone are a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation. We are partners in promoting the sustainable development since the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 1971. For consecutive 14 years, China has sent agricultural experts team here to help cultivate high-yield rice seeds and train local talents in the field of agricultural technology. For consecutive 52 years, China has sent medical teams here to help safeguard the health of the Sierra Leonean people. Also for many consecutive years, hundreds of scholarships and short-term training seminars have been provided to Sierra Leoneans each year to help cultivate a large number of technical talents and provide intellectual support for poverty reduction in Sierra Leone. In the future, China will continue to provide assistance for poverty reduction and sustainable development in Sierra Leone, in alignment with its “Big 5 Game Changers” and Medium Term Development Plan 2024-2030. Together we can make greater contributions to achieving the 2030 Agenda and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
