A poverty-free world has long been a dream of the world, but in one country that dream has become a reality. At a time when the world continues to grapple with eradicating poverty, China has managed the feat at the end of 2020.
Since the advent of modern history, no country has yet managed to uplift all its population from the shackles of poverty. While many governance systems, economic paradigms and social strategies were devised to achieve this, all have been in vain.
But as the dust settles it emerges that Chinese doctrine seems to be the best antidote against poverty, which has elevated China's status in this regard as a country model to be followed.
Speaking to China Today, Peng Zhengwu, Deputy Counsel General of Chinese Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, said that all 832 counties in China on the poverty list have achieved poverty alleviation. “Over 30 million people once trapped in poverty are now living a better life, which they deserve. This is no doubt a great milestone in the history of mankind,” said Peng.
Runners participating in a race that traverses a network of newly-completed rural roads demonstrate how new life is created in China’s countryside.
“Since General Secretary Xi Jinping took the helm of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012 [and the state in 2013], China has set up a goal of rejuvenation known as the China Dream. Poverty alleviation is one of the tasks to be achieved by the end of 2020. The success, together with other indices, after years of hard work, marks the fulfillment of the 13th Five-Year Plan and the opening of the 14th Five-Year Plan. The 20th CPC National Congress will be held in Beijing next year and China will start a new march towards the construction of a modern socialist country,” said Peng. He added that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as one of the flagship projects, builds a platform for countries to achieve common development and prosperity.
The international community already has been inspired by many Chinese success stories and this new feat of removing absolute poverty has made everybody sit up and take notice. In South Asia, Pakistan, a strategic partner of the Belt and Road Initiative, desires to pursue China’s anti-poverty action plan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a recent media interview, said he wants to replicate the Chinese model that had lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty within a short period of 40 years, in Pakistan.
Faraz Danial, an economist, said that the Chinese influence has already had a positive impact on Pakistan, helping the country to realign itself with sustainable prosperity. “Fresh inspiration from China [comes in the form of their] poverty reduction model,” he said. Pakistan is committed to poverty alleviation in line with Goal-1 of the SDGs "No Poverty" in all its manifestations everywhere, by 2030. According to the Planning Commission of Pakistan, the poverty headcount ratio was 24.3 percent, by estimating the poverty line for this period as US $21.53 per adult equivalent per month, which represented around 50 million people living below the national poverty line in 2015-16.
2020 is the year set by China to eliminate extreme poverty. Incessant efforts through the reform and opening-up policy, which started some 40 years ago, have lifted about 800 million Chinese citizens out of poverty, accounting for over 70 percent of the global total, which has effectively placed the country at the forefront of global poverty relief efforts.
Mushahid Hussain, former information minister and Chairman of the China Pakistan Institute (PCI) and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee of Pakistan, said that Pakistan and its people heartily congratulate China on a monumental, historic achievement of wiping out absolute poverty.
“The credit goes to the CPC, which first liberated the Chinese people from the yoke of feudalism and backwardness plus the ‘100 years of humiliation’ from foreign domination in 1949, and today, in 2020, eliminated the scourge of poverty from China. Given the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, this is a huge victory of the Chinese people, as it comes befittingly on the eve of the 100 years anniversary of founding of the Communist Party of China,” said Hussain .
It is a big question how Pakistan can capitalize on China's poverty alleviation model against the backdrop of the socio-economic plight caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A study by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics shows that poverty in the country may double from 23 percent to 57 percent, as a result of the coronavirus-induced economic slowdown.
Luckily, in the fight against poverty in Pakistan, China is always there to help in fixing its multi-faceted problems as well as sharing their vision on how to seek modern development.
In this regard, at the second meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Socio-economic Development under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework, held in early November via video link, Pakistan showed its desire to learn from China’s experience of alleviating poverty. The meeting also discussed and reviewed the projects under the US $1 billion Chinese grant. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the progress of the projects being undertaken under this Joint Working Group in key areas of agriculture, education, health, poverty alleviation, and vocational training. The projects reviewed include agriculture technology laboratories, provision of equipment and tools and demonstration stations in the agriculture sector, smart classroom project and overseas student scholarship program in the education sector, solar energy project in Balochistan, drinking water supply project for Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and more. The Chinese side appreciated the preparation and commitment of Pakistan towards the early implementation of the projects and acknowledged the effective coordination provided by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
Digby James Wren, an Australian geopolitical expert and avid BRI researcher, said that China’s poverty alleviation efforts are an essential component of realizing a moderately prosperous society in China.
“Critics point to the fairly low poverty income band compared to other nations. However, roads now connect all rural counties and villages and free education and medical services are also available to all. Internet coverage is increasing rapidly and the establishment of ‘local’ produce, skills and digital marketing and logistics has enabled anti-poverty efforts to expand rapidly across the nation,” said Wren.
Further efforts are needed to achieve the country’s next goal of basically achieving modernization and turning China into a modern socialist country Beijing has set for the next 15 years till 2035, according to Wren, who added that if the past 40 years of reform and opening-up is any measure, China can expect a flourishing society and beautiful country to be established ahead of schedule.
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Yasir Habib Khan is a special correspondent of China Today in Pakistan. He is also founder and president of Institute of International Relations and Media Research (IIRMR).
