FiveyearshasbecomeanimportantbenchmarkforChina.TheCPCnationalCongressisheldeveryfiveyearstosummarizewhathasbeenachievedandthelessonslearnedoverthatperiod,andtosignifythenextphaseoftheParty鈥檚work.sincethe18thCPCnationalCongressinnovember2012,undertheleadershipoftheCPCwithXiJinpingasthecore,Chinahasmadegloriousachievementsandsetnewheightsforthecountry鈥檚governancebyrespondingtothecallofthetimesforpeace,development,andwin-wincooperation.
overthepastfiveyearsthecountryhascommittedtofulfillingitsmissionandforgedsteadilyahead.Thisissueseesstartofthenewcolumn鈥淔iveYearson鈥漺hich,inlightofthenewconceptsandpracticesofChina鈥檚reformanddevelopmentsincethe18thCPCnationalCongress,recapssignificantmomentsandachievementsthroughoutitsdevelopmenttrajectory,andpresentstheprospectsandfuturegoalsofthecountry鈥檚development.
IN2015theCPCandtheChinesegovernmentputforwardthegoalofliftingeveryoneinthecountrysideabovethecountry鈥檚povertylineby2020.
Since2013,about55.64millionpeoplehaveshakenoffpoverty,equivalenttomorethan80percentofthetotalpopulationofFrance.ItwillnotonlybenefittheChinesepeople,butalsorepresentChina鈥檚contributiontotheevolutionofhumansocietyifthelargestdevelopingcountrywinsthebattleagainstpovertyandcompletesthebuildingofamoderatelyprosperoussociety.
TargetedPovertyAlleviationWorks
OnDecember29,2012,PresidentXiJinping,whohadbeeninofficefor40-odddays,madeaninspectiontourofFuping,animpoverishedcountyinHebeiProvince.FupingwasthecapitaloftheShanxi-Charhar-HebeiBorderArea,thefirstrevolutionarybasefromwhichCPCleadersdirectedbattlesduringtheChinesePeople鈥檚WarofResistanceAgainstJapaneseAggression(1931-1945).XichoseitashisdestinationwiththeaimofunderstandingtherealsituationofthepeoplelivinginthepoorestareasinChinaandprobingtheweaknessesofcurrentsocialandeconomicdevelopment,soastodiscusshowtobuildamoderatelyprosperoussociety.XiwenttoLuotuowanVillageandGujiataiVillage,wheretheannualpercapitanetincomewaslessthanRMB1,000.鈥淚selectedtwotypicalexamplestounderstandtheentiresituationofthevastpoverty-strickenareasinChina,鈥漵aidXi.
Overthepastfiveyears,Xihasmademorethan30inspectiontoursacrossthecountryandhasstressedpovertyalleviationalmosteverywherehehasgone.Hehaspersonallyvisited14contiguouspoverty-strickenareasandencouragedtheCPCcadrestoregularlyvisitimpoverishedareasandchatwithlocalpeople.
InNovember2013,XifirstputforwardtheconceptoftargetedpovertyalleviationduringhisvisittoXiangxiTujiaandMiaoAutonomousPrefectureinHunanProvince.鈥淭argetedmeasuresshouldbemadebasedonpracticalsituations,andemptyslogansshouldbeavoided,鈥漢esaid.InJune2015,hepointedoutatasymposiumwithlocalPartyleadersofGuizhouProvincethatthesuccessofpovertyalleviationreliesonwhethertargetedassistancecanbeprovided.
InNovember2015,theCentralCommitteeoftheCPCandtheStateCouncilreleasedastatemententitled鈥淒ecisiontoWintheBattleAgainstPoverty,鈥漺hichexplicitlyputforwardprecisepoliciesonpovertyrelief.Itstipulatedthattherealconditionsofimpoverishedpeoplemustbeinspected,andtargetedmeasurescarriedouttoaddresstheirpracticalneeds.Furthermorethatfundsmustbeusedeffectively,cadresassignedaccordingtotheirprofessionsandtheworkrequirements,andtheirproductivityandefficiencyevaluated.Effortsshouldbemadetoreducepovertythroughindustrialdevelopment,labortransfers,resettlementsandecologicalprotectionprojects.Moreover,asystemshouldbeestablishedtoprovideserviceandcaretoleft-behindchildren,womenandseniorpeople,aswellasthedisabled.
Inordertopromotetheseprovisionsonpovertyrelief,fromApriltoOctoberof2014,thegovernmentdepartmentsworkingonpovertyalleviationorganizedabout800,000cadrestolaunchon-siteinspectionstoidentify128,000impoverishedvillagesand89.62millionpoorpeople.Theycreatedprofilesfortheimpoverishedpopulationandfiguredoutthekeyfactorsthatcausepovertyinthosehouseholds.Basedonthisanalysis,theyimplementedtargetedmeasuresbyimprovingeducation,healthcare,financialservices,scienceandtechnology,aswellasinvitingprivateenterprisestosupportpovertyeradication.
Thoseeffortshavepaidoff.Thepastfouryearshaveseentheliftingoutofpovertyofover10millionruralpeopleeveryyear.TakeHebeiProvinceasanexample.Inthefirsthalfof2016,thepercapitadisposableincomeofruralresidentsinimpoverishedcountiesreachedRMB4,811,ayear-on-yearincreaseof13.3percent.
EnhanceSelf-developmentCapacity
Attheendof2012,whenXiwasonaninspectiontourinFupingCounty,hepointedoutthatthegovernmentshouldpaymoreattentiontothecontiguouspovertystrickenareasbyhelpingimpoverishedpeopleandtheregiontoseekdevelopmentbythemselves.
Chinahasalwaysencouragedgovernmentdepartments,enterprisesandindividualstojointlyhelpreducepoverty.
Thegovernmenthasprovidedsufficientfinancialsupportforfightingpoverty.Overthepastfouryears,RMB196.1billionofthecentralbudgethasbeenallocatedtopovertyreduction,representingannualizedgrowthof19.22percent.Thegovernmenthasalsoencouragedvariouspartsofsocietytoprovidefinancialaid.ThefinancialinstitutionshaveissuedatotalofRMB283.3billioninsmallloanstohelpnearlyeightmillionfamiliesgetridofpoverty.
In2014ChinasetOctober17astheDayfortheEradicationofPoverty,andsincethenhascarriedoutrelevantactivitiestomobilizeprivateenterprises,socialorganizationsandindividualstoparticipateinpovertyalleviation.Theprogramfortheeasternregiontoofferassistancetopovertyreliefinthewesternregion,initiatedin1996,hasbeenupgraded.NinedevelopedprovincesandcitiessuchasBeijing,Shanghai,Shenzhen,andZhejianghavepro-videdassistancetotheirpaired12provincesinthewesternregion.Moreover,atotalof320unitsofthecentralgovernmentandtheCPChavetakenresponsibilityforhelpingtolifttheirtargeted592countiesoutofpoverty.ThePeople鈥檚LiberationArmyandtheChinesePeople鈥檚ArmedPoliceForcehavehelpedmorethan2,000impoverishedvillages.Around26,500privatebusinesseshavehelpednearlyfourmillionimpoverishedpeoplein24,600villageswithwhichtheyarepaired.
WomenoftheJinuoethnicgroupdrytealeavesinthesuninavillageofJinghongCity,YunnanProvinceonSeptember18,2015.Plantingteaandrubbertreeshashelpedtoimprovelocalpeople鈥檚livingstandards.Thegoalofallthesemeasuresistoenableimpoverishedareastobuildself-developmentcapacity.Thegovernmentcreatesemploymenttohelpthosewhocanworktogetoutofpoverty.In2016,30countiesinsixprovinces,suchasHebei,AnhuiandShanxi,wereselectedasexperimentalzonesforpovertyalleviationthroughphotovoltaic(PV)projects.Accordingtotheplan,thePVprojectswillbecarriedoutin35,000impoverishedvillagesin16provinces,coveringtwomillionimpoverishedhouseholds.
TheStateCouncilLeadingGroupOfficeofPovertyAlleviationandDevelopmentandNationalTourismAdministrationhelped22,600villagesincreaseincomethroughdevelopingruraltourism.Thereare428poverty-strickencountiesenrolledinarurale-commercepilotprogram.InLuotuowanVillageinFupingCountywhereXivisited,cadreshelpedlocalvillagersopenonlinestores,throughwhichlocalagriculturalproductssuchashoney,eggsandwalnutscouldbesoldnationwide,therebygeneratingrevenue.
Atthecentralworkconferenceondevelopmentorientedpovertyreductionin2015,theheadsofPartycommitteesandgovernmentsof22provincesandautonomousregionsincentralandwesternChinasignedwiththecentralauthoritieslettersofcommitmentonpovertyelimination,andlikewisesimilardocumentsweresignedbyleadersatlowerlevels.
SharetheChineseExperience
Overthepastfewyears,Chinahasreceivedsupportfromtheinternationalsocietyinpovertyreduction.ManyinternationalorganizationssuchastheWorldBank,theUNDevelopmentProgram,theUNFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO),andtheAsiaDevelopmentBankhaveprovidedhelpintermsoffunds,ideasandtechnology.TheWorldBankstartedtoapproveloanstoChinatosupportpovertyreductionin1996.ItsloanshavebenefitedalmosteveryprovinceinwesternChina.Fromtheendof2016,theWorldBankstartedtoofferloanstotargetedprovinces,suchasGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegionandShaanxiProvince,tosupportcooperationbetweenfarmers鈥檆ooperativesandagriculturalenterprisesandtodeveloptheagriculturalvaluechain.
Currentlytherearestillmorethan700millionpeoplelivinginextremepovertyglobally.InChina,over40millionpeopleneedtoescapepovertyby2020.TheChinesegovernmentlaysgreatstoreonexchangesandcooperationwithinternationalinstitutionsandotherdevelopingcountriesinpovertyreduction.Italsopromotestheinternationalcauseofpovertyalleviationbyprovidingaidtootherdevelopingcountrieswithnopoliticalstringsattached,soastohelpdevelopingcountries,especiallytheleastdevelopedcountries,toeradicatepoverty.
Overthepastdecades,Chinahasprovided166countriesandinternationalorganizationswithnearlyRMB400billionworthofassistanceanddispatchedover600,000aidworkers.Chinahasalsoannouncedseventimesitwouldunconditionallyexemptthematuredinter-governmentalinterest-freeloansownedbyheavilyindebtedpoorcountriesandleastdevelopedcountries.Ithasalsoprovidedmedicalaidto69countriesandhelpedmorethan120developingcountriestomeettheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs).
Toenhancethesharingofexperienceinpovertyreduction,theChinesegovernmentandsomeinternationalorganizationssuchastheWorldBank,andtheUNDevelopmentProgramjointlyestablishedtheInternationalPovertyReductionCenterinChinain2004.SincethenthecenterhaslaunchedtheGlobalPovertyReductionandDevelopmentForum,theChina-ASEANForumonSocialDevelopmentandPovertyReduction,andtheChina-AfricaPovertyReductionandDevelopmentForum,offeringtrainingtoover2,600peoplefrommorethan120developingcountries.
OnSeptember26,2015,XiJinpingannounced,whenheco-hostedtheHighLevelRoundtableonSouth-SouthCooperationattheUNheadquartersinNewYork,thatChinawouldmakeavailabletootherdevelopingcountriesinthenextfiveyears100povertyreductionprograms,100agriculturalcooperationprojects,100tradepromotionandaidprograms,100environmentalprotectionandclimatechangeadaptationprograms,100hospitalsandclinics,and100schoolsandvocationaltrainingcenters.Chinawillcontinuetoshareitsvisionandmakeitscontributiontopromotinginternationalpovertyreductionandrealizingthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.
AgrouppicturetakenonJune4,2017besideawatercellarbuilttoaddressthewatershortageinAmhara,Ethiopia.Theprojectwasco-implementedbyChinaFoundationforPovertyAlleviationandXuzhouConstructionMachineryGroup.