Xi Jinping stresses China will completely eliminate poverty-stricken population in the next five years
CRI Online report (reporter Zhu Wanling): Eradicating poverty remains the biggest global challenge facing the world today, and is also the common mission of humanity. On the occasion of the 23rd World Eradication of Poverty Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the 2015 High-Level Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development that China will continue to substantially increase investment in poverty alleviation, and in the next five years lift more than 70 million poverty-stricken people completely out of poverty. In addition, China will also promote the establishment of a new type of international exchange and cooperation relationship for poverty reduction centered on win-win cooperation, put forward Chinese solutions, contribute Chinese wisdom, more effectively promote exchanges among developing countries to share poverty reduction experience, and join hands with all countries to eradicate poverty and achieve common development.
On the 16th, the 2015 High-Level Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development was held in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. He first introduced China's path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics, which takes economic development as the driving force, is government-led, insists on development-oriented poverty alleviation, and pairs inclusive policies with preferential policies. This path has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty and made China the first developing country in the world to achieve the poverty reduction target among the Millennium Development Goals. Xi Jinping said that China will continue to substantially increase investment in poverty alleviation, and in the next five years lift more than 70 million poverty-stricken people completely out of poverty, “In the next five years, we will lift more than 70 million poverty-stricken people under China's current standard completely out of poverty. This is an important step in China's implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. In order to win this tough battle, we will make poverty alleviation and development a main part of economic and social development planning, substantially increase investment in poverty alleviation, introduce more policies and measures that benefit poor areas and poor people, improve the pro-poor nature of the market mechanism, advance inclusive economic and social development, and implement a series of more targeted major development measures.”
As the largest developing country in the world, China has always been an active advocate and a strong promoter of the world's poverty reduction cause. While committed to eradicating poverty at home, China has always actively carried out South-South cooperation, provided assistance to other developing countries to the best of its ability without any political conditions attached, and supported and helped developing countries, especially the least developed countries, eradicate poverty. Xi Jinping said that the next 15 years will be a critical period of development for both China and other developing countries. China will promote the establishment of a new type of international exchange and cooperation relationship for poverty reduction centered on win-win cooperation, providing safeguards for eradicating poverty, “China advocates and practices multilateralism, actively participates in multilateral affairs, supports the United Nations, the World Bank and others in continuing to play an important role in the international poverty reduction cause, and will work with all parties to optimize global development partnerships, advance North-South cooperation, strengthen South-South cooperation, provide sufficient resources and strong impetus for the global poverty reduction cause, and implement the Outline of China-Africa Union Cooperation on Strengthening Poverty Reduction and the East Asia Poverty Reduction Cooperation Initiative, with greater emphasis on letting local people benefit from development outcomes. China will give full play to the role of international poverty reduction exchange platforms such as the International Poverty Reduction Center in China, put forward Chinese solutions, contribute Chinese wisdom, and more effectively promote exchanges among developing countries to share poverty reduction experience.”
He said that China will promote regional cooperation of a larger scope, higher level and greater depth, align development strategies, advance practical cooperation in industry, agriculture, human resource development, green energy, environmental protection and other fields, and help developing countries turn resource advantages into development advantages; and by focusing on improving the international development environment, promote the building of a fair, just, inclusive and orderly international economic and financial system, and create a favorable external environment for the development of developing countries, “China has proposed jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, initiated the preparation for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and set up the Silk Road Fund, precisely to support developing countries in carrying out infrastructure connectivity construction, help them enhance their own development capacity, better integrate into global supply chains, industrial chains and value chains, and inject new vitality into the international poverty reduction cause.”
In addition, Xi Jinping also reiterated the Chinese government's firm commitment to a series of new measures announced at the United Nations series of summits at the end of September to help developing countries develop their economies and improve people's livelihoods.