A herdswoman from a cooperative milks sheep in Rutog County of Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 4, 2019. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
China has been fighting the battle through various means including industrial development, employment, education, relocation, financial services and the digital economy, consistent policy-making and implementation, and strict supervision over poverty reduction efforts and results.
BEIJING, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Few feats in humankind's fight against poverty can match that of China -- within four decades, China's impoverished population in rural areas declined by around 753 million from 1978 to 2018, more than twice the entire population of the United States.
Oct. 17 marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty recognized by the United Nations as well as China's sixth National Poverty Relief Day, the final such day before the year 2020 when China is set to realize its goal of eliminating extreme rural poverty.
By the end of last year, there were still 16.6 million Chinese people living under the poverty line mainly in areas of extreme poverty, which is the "final frontier" to be conquered in the next stage.
The accomplishments so far reflect the deliverance of the pledge from the Communist Party of China to end poverty in the world's most populated country as well as the hard-working spirit of the Chinese people who have actively participated in the arduous task.
Drawing on the concerted efforts from government, society and the market, China has been fighting the battle through various means including industrial development, employment, education, relocation, financial services and the digital economy, consistent policy-making and implementation, and strict supervision over poverty reduction efforts and results.
China's poverty relief achievements have not only benefited its own people, but also contributed to the global efforts to eradicate poverty for humankind.
"China's progress in poverty reduction has global significance. China alone accounts for three-quarters of the reduction in global poverty from the 1980s to today," said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, in a speech at the 2019 China Poverty Reduction International Forum.
At a time when more inspiration and perspiration are needed to push global poverty relief forward, China's success story provides the world, especially developing countries, an effective way to fight poverty and improve people's livelihood through strong leadership and unified efforts.
The battle is still ongoing and China will fight shoulder-to-shoulder with its global partners, communicate and share its valuable experience with them, and jointly realize the grand goal of eradicating poverty from human society. ■
