Speakers:
Xu Lin, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and minister of the State Council Information Office (SCIO)
Tang Renjian, director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs, and minister of agriculture and rural affairs
Wang Zhengpu, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs, and head of the National Administration for Rural Vitalization
Hong Tianyun, deputy head of the National Administration for Rural Vitalization
Xia Gengsheng, deputy head of the National Administration for Rural Vitalization
Chairperson:
Chen Wenjun, head of the Press Bureau and spokesperson of the SCIO
Date:
April 6, 2021
Chen Wenjun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this briefing held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and thanks to the concerted efforts of the Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, China has attained a complete victory in the fight against poverty, creating a great miracle in the history of human poverty reduction. Today, the SCIO has issued a white paper titled "Poverty Alleviation: China's Experience and Contribution," which is the topic of today's press conference.
We have invited Mr. Xu Lin, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and minister of the SCIO, to brief you on the white paper. Also present are: Mr. Tang Renjian, director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs, and minister of agriculture and rural affairs; Mr. Wang Zhengpu, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Affairs, and head of the National Administration for Rural Vitalization; and Mr. Hong Tianyun and Mr. Xia Gengsheng, deputy heads of the National Administration for Rural Vitalization. They will answer your questions. Next, we will give the floor to Mr. Xu for an introduction.
Xu Lin:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media:
This year marks the centenary of the founding of the CPC. Since its inception, the CPC has taken the happiness of the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the nation as its original aspiration and mission, and united and led the people in the fight against poverty. The 100 years of the CPC's development have been a century when the Party has worked hard to eradicate poverty and backwardness and to ensure better lives for the people.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has adopted a series of bold policies and measures to fight a decisive battle against poverty that is unprecedented in scale and intensity, and has benefited the largest number of people in human history. At the grand gathering held this Feb. 25 to mark China's achievements in poverty alleviation and honor its model fighters against poverty, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared: Victory in the battle against poverty is complete, and China has completed the arduous task of eliminating extreme poverty.
Today, the SCIO has issued the white paper "Poverty Alleviation: China's Experience and Contribution." The document records the course of the CPC uniting and leading the Chinese people in the fight against poverty, and particularly efforts made to achieve a complete victory since the 18th CPC National Congress, introduces China's approach, and shares its experience and actions in poverty alleviation.
The white paper, which extends to more than 30,000 Chinese characters, consists of a preface, main body, conclusion and appendix. The main body includes five parts: "The Solemn Commitment of the CPC," "Final Victory in the Fight against Extreme Poverty," "The Strategy of Targeted Poverty Alleviation," "Exploring a New Path of Poverty Alleviation" and "A Global Community of Shared Future Free from Poverty." The paper is an important historical record that offers a comprehensive picture of China's poverty alleviation effort.
China's fight against poverty entered a critical stage after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. At the end of 2020, following eight years of hard work, China achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty — a key goal for the new era of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The 98.99 million people in rural areas who were living below the current poverty threshold all shook off poverty; and all 128,000 impoverished villages and 832 designated poor counties escaped poverty. Our complete victory over extreme poverty is an outstanding achievement in the history of both China and humanity. As stated in the white paper, the battle against poverty has been another great revolution in rural China, leading to historic and comprehensive changes. The campaign boosted overall rural development and laid a solid foundation for building a modern socialist China and realizing the Second Centenary Goal.
China's poverty alleviation experience indicates that poverty is not predestined, nor is it unconquerable. With strong will and determination, as well as practical action, one can make steady progress toward overcoming poverty and realizing common prosperity.
According to the white paper, China's complete victory over extreme poverty shows that the CPC has held fast to its original aspiration and mission, and demonstrates its ability to lead politically, to guide through theory, to organize the people, and to inspire society. It shows the strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics in pooling resources to solve major problems. It highlights China's spirit, China's values, China's strength, and the willpower of the Chinese people to strive to realize dreams with bold resolve "which dares to make sun and moon shine in new skies." It exemplifies the fearless and indomitable character of the Chinese nation — determined to struggle and resolutely overcome all difficulties and challenges along the way.
The strategy of targeted poverty alleviation is a major innovation in the theory and practice of poverty alleviation, and China's strongest weapon in its final battle to secure victory against poverty. In its poverty elimination efforts, China has launched a series of guidelines and measures to increase efficiency, summarized as accomplishing "Targeted Efforts in Six Areas" (efforts to accurately identify the poor, arrange targeted programs, utilize capital efficiently, take household-based measures, dispatch first Party secretaries based on village conditions, and achieve the set goals), taking "Five Measures for Poverty Eradication" (boosting the economy to provide more job opportunities, relocating poor people from inhospitable areas, compensating for economic losses associated with reducing ecological damage, improving education in impoverished areas, and providing subsistence allowances for those unable to shake off poverty through their own efforts), and addressing "Five Questions in Poverty Alleviation" (who should help, who should be helped, how to help, how to evaluate whether someone has emerged from poverty, and how to ensure those people stay free from poverty).
The white paper emphasizes that in addition to securing a sweeping victory in the final battle against poverty, the strategy has also given a powerful boost to modernizing China's national governance system and capacity, and to enriching and developing the CPC's guiding philosophies and governance strategies in the new era.
In its practices, China has embarked on a path of poverty alleviation and designed an approach with Chinese characteristics, offering enlightenment to the international community in its battle to reduce poverty. The white paper provides China's proposals and approach for poverty alleviation from the perspectives of upholding a people-centered philosophy, highlighting poverty alleviation in national governance, eradicating poverty through development, letting the poor play the principal role, and pooling all resources to create synergy.
China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world, and the world needs China for further development. China has been actively engaging in international cooperation in poverty reduction and acts as an advocate, facilitator, and contributor to the international cause of poverty alleviation. According to the white paper, as China is home to nearly one-fifth of the world's population, its complete eradication of extreme poverty – the first target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – 10 years ahead of schedule, makes an important contribution to the cause of global poverty alleviation. China is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries on poverty reduction and make a greater contribution to building a global community based on a shared future that is free from poverty and blessed with common prosperity.
Shaking off poverty is not the finish line but the starting point of a new life and new endeavor. As the world's largest developing country, China still has much to do to bridge the gap between unbalanced and inadequate development, narrow the gap between urban and rural areas and between regions, and realize people's all-around development and common prosperity for all. China will continue to consolidate the results of poverty elimination, dovetail new measures with rural vitalization, and comprehensively push forward rural vitalization by introducing more vigorous measures and pooling more resources. The white paper has depicted a bright future of China's rural vitalization and its development by the years 2035 and 2050, saying that the nation will continue to march towards higher goals of all-round development for the people and common prosperity for all.
This is the end of my introduction. Thank you!
Chen Wenjun:
Thank you, Mr. Xu. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media organization you represent before asking questions.
