China’s Targeted Poverty Alleviation in Foreigners’ Eyes

Hosted by China Report, a magazine published and administered by the China International Publishing Group, the “China in Foreigners’ Eyes-Targeted Poverty Alleviation Event” was held from December 12 to 14, 2016.

The foreign delegation—led by Ragnar Baldursson, Minister counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Iceland in Beijing—consisted of 30 members from more than 21 countries and international organizations, including Iceland, Nepal, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Lesotho, Romania, Uruguay, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea.

The delegations visited Xingtai, a city in north China’s Hebei Province, to meet with the local government officials and to learn about the city’s poverty alleviation efforts—namely, helping impoverished households and promoting the development of poverty-stricken areas.

In Xingtai, there are 10 counties listed as national and regional-level poverty-stricken counties. From 2011 to 2015, the city launched a number of targeted measures to fight against poverty; and in that time span, about 600,000 people have lifted themselves from poverty. According to its plan, the city strives to lift a total of 140,000 people from 377 poverty-stricken villages in 4 counties out of poverty in 2016.

Mr. Baldursson said that as a province neighboring the metropolitan, high-opportunity capital of Beijing, Hebei faces the constant struggle of losing high-quality talents and high-skilled workers. It was this particular situation that intrigued Mr. Baldursson and ultimately led him to visit Xingtai to find out how the local government takes measures to eliminate poverty.

“Some of the large developed countries still have people living in poverty despite their high GDP. It’s clear that China will not go down that path, because the Chinese government wants to lift not only the major population but the whole population out of poverty.”

Mr. Tan Weiping, Deputy Director of the International Poverty Reduction Center in China, introduced China’s challenges, achievements, and experiences in poverty reduction as well as China’s strategies in targeted poverty alleviation.

China is the first country to have achieved the poverty reduction target of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations, and the Chinese government aims to lift a further 70 million people out of poverty by 2020.

Since 2011, the State Council Information Office of People’s Republic of China has held a series of “China in Foreigners’ Eyes” events, and these events have become the window for diplomats to China and foreign experts to learn more about China and its efforts to grow while improving the lives of its people.