China’s Practices and Implications
消除贫困——中国的实践与启示
Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Hua Ning Publishes an Article on Juba Monitor and No1. Citizen
中国驻南苏丹大使华宁在《朱巴观察家报》《第一公民报》发表署名文章
18 March 2022
2022年3月18日
I came from Zhenhai, Zhejiang Province, a beautiful town on the East coast of China, where people’s life is relatively prosperous. In 1996, responding to the call of the Central Government of China, Zhenhai formed a poverty reduction pair with Pu’an County, a “poor county” in the mountainous Wumeng area of Guizhou Province in the Southwest China. Spanning 2,000 kilometers, cadres from Zhenhai have devoted themselves to poverty alleviation in the county over the past two decades. In March last year, Pu’an County was removed from the poverty list and successfully shook off poverty. This story of the East-West cooperation in poverty relief is a vivid epitome of China’s poverty alleviation campaign.
我的家乡在浙江镇海，位于中国东部沿海，生活比较富裕。1996年，在中央号召下，镇海与中国西部贵州省乌蒙山区的“贫困县”普安县结成扶贫对子。二十年间，来自镇海的干部跨越2000公里，投身中国西部山区扶贫事业。去年3月，普安县退出贫困县序列，成功实现脱贫。这段东西部扶贫协作故事，是中国脱贫攻坚事业的生动缩影。
Over 100 years since its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has unswervingly remained true to its original aspiration and the mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Since the Reform and Opening-up in 1978, China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty, which accounts for over 70% of the global reduction in poverty over the period. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, nearly 100 million people have got rid of poverty. On February 25, 2021, H.E. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China, solemnly declared that China had secured a complete victory in its fight against poverty, which solved the historical problem of poverty that had plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years and saw the country meet its poverty alleviation targets under the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.
中国共产党自1921年成立之日起，就坚持把为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴作为初心使命，一百年来未曾动摇。1978年改革开放以来，中国累计近8亿人口摆脱贫困，占同期全球减贫人口70%以上。2012年中国共产党十八大以来，近1亿人口实现脱贫。2021年2月25日，中共中央总书记、国家主席习近平庄严宣告，中国脱贫攻坚取得了全面胜利，历史性地解决了困扰中华民族几千年的绝对贫困问题，提前10年实现联合国2030年可持续发展议程的减贫目标。
Many South Sudanese friends have asked me, what are China’s secrets of victory over poverty? I suppose the answers may be found in the following aspects.
很多南苏丹朋友问我，中国脱贫制胜靠的是什么？我想主要归功于以下几个方面。
First, Strong Leadership. “The aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of our efforts”, said President Xi Jinping. In the course of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the poor areas cannot be left behind. This is a solemn promise by the CPC to the people. In the past eight years, President Xi Jinping has directed and led this battle against poverty in person, traveling through the mountains and rivers of 14 concentrated contiguous areas with extreme poverty. From the central to the local level, CPC chiefs at the provincial, municipal, county, township, and village levels (jointly known as “five-level party chiefs”) were required to assume the primary responsibility in this anti-poverty campaign in which more than 4 million primary-level CPC organizations and 90 million party members participated. Since 2012, a total of 255,000 teams were dispatched to offer on-the-ground support and over 3 million officials were sent to the countryside as special commissioners for poverty relief, working together with millions of township and village-level cadres. In the past eight years, more than 1,800 cadres sacrificed their lives in fighting poverty on the front lines.
一是坚强有力领导。“人民对美好生活的向往，就是我们的奋斗目标”。在中国全面建成小康社会道路上，贫困地区不能缺席，这是中国共产党对人民的庄严承诺。过去八年来，习近平主席亲自指挥领导这场脱贫攻坚战，走遍14个集中连片特困地区的山山水水。从中央到地方，省、市、县、乡、村“五级书记”一起抓，400多万个基层党组织、9000多万党员共同参与扶贫攻坚。2012年以来，全国累计选派25.5万个驻村工作队、300多万名第一书记和驻村干部，同数百万名乡镇和村干部一道奋战在扶贫一线。1800多名干部牺牲在扶贫岗位上。
To ensure that every poverty alleviation policy can be implemented and every poverty alleviation fund be properly used, the relevant authorities conduct strict evaluation and supervision over poverty relief effects, showing zero tolerance for misconduct in all its forms and taking resolute measures to combat corruption related poverty alleviation.
为确保每一项扶贫政策都能落实，每一笔扶贫资金都能发挥作用，有关部门对扶贫成效进行严格考核，对扶贫领域腐败现象和不正之风“零容忍”，予以坚决打击。
Secondly, Targeted Policy. The disease of poverty could only be cured with the right prescription. China has kept detailed family archives of all poor households, established a unified and regularly updated national registration system. Tailor-made measures are designed for each impoverished family in accordance with its different conditions. For areas with resources and comparative advantages, we realize poverty alleviation through developing local industry. If it’s difficult to eliminate poverty on the spot due to natural constraints, we implement a relocation policy. In key areas of ecological protection, we increase financial transfer payments and promote ecological compensation. In response to the fact that poverty-stricken areas have weaker educational conditions and more stay-at-home children, we step up efforts to develop education. We also strengthen medical insurance and social assistance for poor people who are unable to work or suffer from serious illnesses. Through targeted poverty alleviation and comprehensive policy implementation, all people who have been lifted out of poverty need not worry about food and clothing and have access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing.
二是“精准扶贫”方略。在脱贫攻坚路上，只有开对了“药方子”，才能拔掉“穷根子”。中国为所有贫困户建立家庭档案，打造全国统一、动态更新的扶贫信息管理系统，为每户量身制定不同脱贫方案。对于有资源条件和比较优势的地区，采取发展生产脱贫；受自然环境限制、难以就地脱贫的，实行异地搬迁；在生态环境保护重点地区，增加财政转移支付，实施生态补偿；针对贫困地区办学条件差、留守儿童多，采取发展教育脱贫；对丧失劳动能力或罹患重疾的贫困群众，加强医疗保险和社会救助。通过精准扶贫、综合施策，实现所有脱贫群众不愁吃、不愁穿，义务教育、基本医疗、住房安全有保障。
Thirdly, Infrastructure Connectivity. As a famous Chinese saying goes, “Building roads is the first step to become prosperous”. Isolation or insulation cannot bring about prosperity. Poverty alleviation cannot be achieved without the improvement of infrastructure. The Chinese government has invested heavily in promoting infrastructure connectivity in impoverished areas. By the end of 2019, China’s total length of roads in rural areas had reached 4.2 million kilometers, all townships and villages had paved roads. Now the power supply reliability rate of the rural power grid has reached 99%, and 100% of the large power grids have been connected to power current. China has expanded fiber-optic internet access and 4G coverage to more than 98% in poor villages. With the continuous advancement of infrastructure connectivity, poor areas are no longer the backwaters. They are increasingly integrated into domestic and international markets, creating enabling conditions for rural revitalization.
三是基础设施建设。“要致富先修路”。隔绝闭塞不可能带来富裕，贫困地区发展离不开基础设施完善，中国政府投入大量资金推进贫困地区基础设施建设。截至2019年底，中国农村公路里程已达420万公里，乡镇和建制村100%通硬化路。农网供电可靠率达99%，大电网覆盖范围内100%通动力电，贫困村通光纤和4G比例均超过98%。随着基础设施互联互通不断推进，贫困群众摆脱闭塞和落后，贫困地区日益融入国内外市场，乡村振兴基础不断夯实。
Fourthly, Self-development Capabilities. People in poverty are not merely recipients of poverty alleviation, but also serve as agents of poverty elimination and prosperity. In China, we stimulate the enthusiasm and initiative of the poor by empowering them with “aspirations” and “intelligence” in the spirit of self-dependence and diligence with a view to ensuring the sustainability of poverty alleviation. Industry is critical to realizing steady poverty alleviation. Capitalizing on local natural resources, poverty-stricken areas have developed various businesses, thus boosting local economic growth and providing job opportunities for the poor. China takes education as the fundamental solution to poverty, giving great priority of education resources towards poverty-stricken areas, developing various forms of vocational education and skill training so that the poor can master the necessary knowledge and skills and shake off poverty through their own hard work.
四是自主发展能力。贫困群众既是脱贫攻坚的对象，更是脱贫致富的主体。中国坚持扶贫和扶志扶智相结合，弘扬自力更生、艰苦奋斗精神，激发贫困群众内生动力，确保扶贫工作的可持续性。产业扶贫是稳定脱贫的有力法宝。贫困地区依托当地资源禀赋，发展各类特色产业，既带动经济增长，又为大量贫困人口提供就业岗位。中国紧紧扭住教育这个脱贫致富的根本之策，推动教育资源向贫困地区倾斜，开展各种形式职业教育和技能培训，使贫困群众掌握生产生活必需知识技能，依靠自己的辛勤劳动摆脱贫困。
It has always been China’s assertion that the people are what human rights are all about. The rights to subsistence and development are the basic human rights of paramount importance. In that spirit, the Chinese government strives to achieve shared prosperity for everyone. Taking the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as an example, all 3 million impoverished people, 3,666 poor villages and 32 poor counties in Xinjiang have been lifted out of poverty under the current standards. The problem of absolute poverty in Xinjiang has become the “past tense” and people of all ethnic groups live and work in peace and contentment.
中方始终认为，人是人权之本，生存权和发展权是首要基本人权，中国政府致力于实现全国各族人民共同富裕。以新疆维吾尔自治区为例，现行标准下300多万贫困人口全部脱贫，3666个贫困村全部退出，32个贫困县全部摘帽。新疆绝对贫困问题成为“过去时”，各族群众安居乐业，过上了安宁幸福生活。
Eliminating poverty is a common goal for the peoples of China and South Sudan. As friend and brother, China is vigorously extending a helping hand to South Sudan while eradicating its own poverty. Over the years, based on the needs of the South Sudanese government and people, China has provided assistance as its ability allows in promoting the humanitarian conditions, advancing the peace process, and enhancing the self-development capabilities of South Sudan.
摆脱贫困是中国和南苏丹人民孜孜以求的共同目标。作为朋友和兄弟，中国在消除自身贫困同时，也积极向南方伸出援手。多年来，我们根据南政府和人民需要，在缓解南人道主义危机、促进南和平进程、增强南自我发展能力方面提供力所能及的帮助。
In response to the humanitarian crisis and people’s livelihood difficulties in South Sudan, the Chinese government provides food aid among other emergency humanitarian assistance every year. A number of livelihood projects have been constructed with Chinese aid such as the new Juba Teaching Hospital, Kiir Mayardit Women’s Hospital in Rumbek, Jubek Model Martyrs Secondary School and Juba China Friendship Secondary School. China also provides hundreds of scholarships and training opportunities to South Sudan annually, expanding access of local people to quality health care and education.
面对南人道主义危机和民生困难，中国政府每年提供粮食等紧急人道主义援助，援建了新朱巴教学医院、伦拜克基尔·马亚尔迪特妇女医院、朱贝克烈士示范中学、古德里中南友谊学校等一批民生工程，向南提供政府奖学金和各类培训，帮助更多南人民获得医疗、教育的机会。
There will be no sound development without peace. It’s a common dream of the South Sudanese people to realize permanent peace. China has actively played a constructive role in advancing the peace process in South Sudan by taking the lead in providing in-kind assistance for implementing the “Revitalized Agreement” and building a unified army.
没有和平就没有发展，实现永久和平是南人民共同梦想。中国率先为南落实《重振协议》提供物资援助，支持南统一军队建设，为促进南和平进程积极发挥建设性作用。
We also support peace through development. China has provided free grants and concessional loans to develop major infrastructure projects including Juba International Airport, Air Traffic Control System, and Jur River Bridge for the purpose of strengthening South Sudan’s development potential. These projects have taken into full consideration South Sudan’s economic situation and debt sustainability. According to the statistics of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), so far Chinese loan only accounts for about 10% of South Sudan’s total loans, and most of South Sudan’s debts are commercial loans issued by financial institutions of other countries and regions.
我们坚持以发展促和平，利用无偿援助、优惠贷款帮助南建设朱巴国际机场、空中交通管理、瓦乌朱尔河大桥等基础设施项目，帮助南增强发展后劲。有关项目充分考虑到南经济状况和债务可持续性。根据国际货币基金组织统计，中方贷款只占南贷款总额的一成左右，南大多数债务属于其他国家和地区金融机构发放的商业贷款。
“Nothing can separate people who share the same vision,” as an ancient Chinese poem says. Upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China firmly supports South Sudan in taking a development path that suits its own national conditions, and stands ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation in fields including poverty reduction and development. China is also willing to step up cooperation with relevant countries and international organizations to jointly assist South Sudan in ensuring food security, reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development at an early date.
“与君远相知，不道云海深”。中方秉持人类命运共同体理念，坚定支持南方走符合自身国情的发展道路，愿同南方在减贫发展领域深化交流合作。中方也愿同有关国家和国际组织加强合作，共同帮助南方早日实现粮食安全、摆脱贫困，实现可持续发展。