ChinAfrica:Howdoyouseethedifferencesbetweentargetedapproachtoalleviatingpovertyanddevelopment-orientedpovertyreliefpolicy?
ZuoChangsheng:TheconceptoftargetedapproachtoalleviatingpovertywasintroducedbytheCentralGovernmentinlate2013.Itsbasicrequirementsandkeymethodsinclude鈥渟ixpreciseitems鈥漚nd鈥渇ive-channelproject.鈥漈heformercomprisescleartargetsforindividualhouseholds,well-arrangedprojects,precisecapitaluse,targetedmeasures,sendingtherightpeopletohelpaccordingtodifferentconditionsindifferentplacesandauthenticeffects.Thelattermeanspovertyalleviationthroughthefollowingfivechannels:developpoorpeople鈥檚ownproductivity,helpthemmigratetoricherplaces,providethemwitheco-compensation,improvetheireducation,andprovidethemwithsocialsecuritybenefits.
Thestrategyoftargetedapproachtoalleviatingpovertyisasignificantinnovationintheconcept,systemandpolicyofChinaforpovertyalleviationanddevelopment.
Unlikethecountry鈥檚previousdevelopmentorientedpovertyalleviationpolicy,thenewapproachtargetsspecificindividualpersonsorfamiliesandensuresithelpsthoseinneed,accordingtotheirspecificdifficulties,bycorrespondingmeasures.Thestrategyplacesgreateremphasisontheeffectivenessofresourcesuseandactualeffectivenessofthepovertyreliefefforts,soastoensurethatthoselivinginpovertycanbeliftedoutonschedule.
HowcanChina鈥檚successinpovertyreductionbesharedwithAfrica?
First,inChina,boththecentralandlocalauthoritieshaveestablishedspecialpovertyreliefagencies.TheCentralGovernmentdevelopstheoverallplansandprovincialauthoritiestakethefullresponsibilityofimplementingthem,withcounty-levelauthoritieshelpingmeetthetargets.
Chinahasimplementedpovertyalleviationprogramswithvaryingfocusesatdifferentstages.Povertyalleviationhasbeenintegratedintothenationalmedium-andlong-termeconomicandsocialdevelopmentprograms,withincreasinginputsfromthecentralandlocalgovernments.
Second,China鈥檚basicapproachtopovertyreliefistoadheretodevelopment-orientedpolicies,helpingpeopleimprovetheirself-developmentcapability.
Third,Chinahascarriedoutasetofnewtargetedapproachestoalleviatingpovertyinordertoimprovetheeffectivenessofpovertyalleviationefforts.
Fourth,thegovernmenthasmobilizedvarioussocialresourcestotheutmosttosupportpovertyalleviationanddevelopmentefforts.
Fifth,Chinafrequentlytakesstockoftheprogressmadeinthisregardtopromoteinnovationinitspovertyalleviationprogramsandtheiroperationmechanism.
IntermsofsharingexperiencewithAfricancountries,giventhedifferentnationalconditions,othercountriescandrawfromChina鈥檚practices,butnotblindlycopythem.In2011,weinitiatedtheIPRCCLearningCenterforPovertyReductionatPeapea,avillageinTanzania.Itwasthefirstvillage-levelpovertyalleviationdemonstrationprojectinAfricaestablishedbytheIPRCC.TheprogramaimsatsharingexperienceinpovertyreductioninruralChinawithAfricancountriesbyofferingmodelsintermsofplanting,breedingandprocessingcrops.ItsetsagoodexampleforChina-Africancooperationinpovertyreduction.
WhatarethechallengesChinafacesinitspovertyalleviationeffort?
First,theChineseGovernmenthaspromisedtoeradicatepovertyby2020.Itmeansitneedstoliftmorethan55millionpeopleoutofpovertyinfiveyears,anarduoustask.
Second,mostofthepeoplelivingbelowthepovertylineresideinruralareaswithinadequatenaturalresourcesandtransportconditions.Giventhepoorecologicalenvironmentofthoseruralareasandtheweakeconomicfoundation,reducingpovertyinsuchareaswillbecostlyandmoredifficult.
Third,theimpoverishedpopulationhasanoveralllowliteracyrate.Also,mostofthemsufferfromdiseasesanddisabilities[whichpreventthemfromworking].WeiSe,fromXigaze,Tibet,runsasuccesfultractorrepairstationwiththesupportofthelocalgovernment
ZuoChangsheng,IPRCCFourth,itisverycommontoseepeoplereturningtotheirimpoverishedstateduetoillnessesandnaturaldisasters.Somemigrantfarmershavebecomeimpoverishedafterlosingtheirjobs.
Thereareotherproblems.Forexample,duetoweakgovernanceandpoormanagement,somepovertyreliefprojectswerenoteffective.Someofficialsmisusedthefundsorwereguiltyofderelictionofduty,whichimpairedtherightsoftheimpoverished.Theseproblems,tosomeextent,havehamperedtheimplementationofpovertyalleviationpolicies.
Weneedtostrengthensupervisionofpovertyrelieffundsandlawenforcementtopunishcorruption.Theaccountabilitymechanismforpovertyreliefanddevelopmentprojectsshouldbestrengthened.Wehaveanobligationtoensurethatmoreimpoverishedpeopleunderstandrelatedpolicesandparticipateinthedesignandimplementationofpovertyreliefprograms.Effortsshouldalsobemadetostrengthenthepublic鈥檚supervisionandmakethemawareofpovertyalleviation-relatedpoliciesandinformation.
Therearemorechallenges.Thegovernment鈥檚financialinputcannotcatertotheincreasingdemand.Inaddition,someimpoverishedpeoplehavetobeweanedofftheirdependenceongovernmentassistanceandtheyshouldlearnhowtoimprovetheirlivingconditionsthroughtheirownefforts.Moreeffortsareneededtoimprovepeople鈥檚self-reliancecapability.
Howdoyouseetheroleofnon-governmentalorganizations(NGOs)inpovertyreduction?
Povertyreductionhaswitnessedanincreasingnum-berofNGOsparticipatinginthegovernment鈥檚effortsandbecomingasignificantforceintacklingglobalpoverty.ItisapositivetrendwhichIbelievewillbefurtherstrengthenedinthefuture.
NGOsincludeavarietyofprofessionalorganizationswithdifferentspecializedexpertise.Theiroperationisflexibleandcanbeadjustedbasedonthechangingneedsoftheimpoverished.
Theymaintainsoundinteractionwiththoselivingbelowthepovertylinethroughcommunitywork.
ThegovernmentshouldcreateafavorablepolicyenvironmenttosupportandencourageNGOstoplayagreaterrole.Thegovernmentcouldcommissionthemtocarryoutsuitableprojectsandprovidethemwithfinancialsupport.Besides,thegovernmentshouldprovideprofessionaltrainingtohelpthoseNGOsbetterunderstandnationalpovertyalleviationpoliciesandenhancetheircapacityinthisfield.
HowdoesChinastrengthendialogueandcooperationinpovertyreductionwithAfricanandotherdevelopingcountries?
WhatistheIPRCC鈥檚specificroleinpovertyalleviation?Whiledevotingitselftoeradicatingpoverty,ChinaisactiveinpromotingSouth-Southcooperationandincreasingsupporttodevelopingcountrieswithoutattachingpoliticalconditions.In2014,ChinaandtheAfricanUnionissuedtheProgramforStrengtheningChina-AfricaCooperationonPovertyReductioninAddisAbaba,Ethiopia.Andinthesameyear,ChinaproposedacooperationinitiativeonpovertyalleviationinEastAsia.
UndertheStateCouncilLeadingGroupOfficeofPovertyAlleviationandDevelopment,aspecializedagencyengagedininternationalcooperationforpovertyreduction,theIPRCCworksasaplatformforinternationalexchangesandcooperationinpovertyreduction.
ChinesePresidentXiJinpinghassaidtheIPRCCshouldcontributeChinesewisdomandstrategytopromoteexperience-sharinginpovertyreductionindevelopingcountries.
Sinceitsfoundingmorethanadecadeago,theIPRCChasestablishedaseriesofdialoguemechanisms.TheseincludetheGlobalPovertyReductionandDevelopmentForum,theAfrica-ChinaPovertyReductionandDevelopmentConferenceundertheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation,andtheChina-ASEANForumonSocialDevelopmentandPovertyReduction.
TheIPRCChastrainedmorethan2,000officialsfromdevelopingcountries.Inaddition,ithassetupbilateralcooperationmechanismsforpovertyreductionwithmanycountriesanddevelopedvillage-levelpovertyreductiondemonstrationcenters.
WealsolaunchedtheGlobalPovertyReductionInclusiveGrowthPortal,whichaimstobecomeaplatformforsharingknowledgeaboutpovertyreductionandthebestpracticesinChinaandaroundtheworld.CA