China's Exemplary Poverty Reduction Efforts

China has made amazing progress by reducing its poverty rate and the country has developed from one of the poorest countries in the world to its second largest economy, said Tegegnework Gettu, then United Nations Under-Secretary-General and associate administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction in 2017.

 H.E. Tegegnework Gettu, former Under-SecretaryGeneral of the UN.

Statistics have shown that China has contributed to over 70 percent of the poverty reduction across the globe. The country has been able to lift more than 700 million people out of extreme poverty within the past 40 years.

The techniques used by China in its poverty alleviation could serve as an excellent model for the world, particularly other developing countries, though each country may have its own cultural considerations and background, Gettu said. “China’s experience can be adapted to the natural, cultural, social and economic conditions of each specific country.”

Over the years, China has provided assistance to developing countries through South-South Cooperation, and currently through the Belt and Road Initiative, said Gettu.

In addition, China has been working with the UN to reach out to developing countries, to share their experience to support infrastructure building, industrialization and agricultural sustainability, Gettu said. “We have a lot of work to do on sustainable development goals, concerning the environment, agriculture, food supplies, industrialization, youth employment and poverty alleviation.”

Gettu suggested expanding China’s involvement in the UN work, so as to usher in more exchange of development ideas. Coordination, top design and planning are also a must for sound cooperation, he added.

Commenting on China’s plan to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020, Gettu expressed confidence in the country’s progress. “I think China has been exemplary in its meticulous way of eradicating poverty. And definitely it will be able to succeed.”

Despite achievements, Gettu warned that urban poverty that may lie ahead, as China’s urbanization sees more people migrating to the cities, bringing a steep increase to urban populations. “I don’t see much of the challenge in Chinese poverty reduction in the rural areas as state-of-the-art technologies reach the rural areas. However, China should be vigilant of urban poverty in the future.”