How China Eradicated Absolute Poverty Through Targeted Development Policies — Xi Lin

China eradicated absolute poverty through carefully planned, phased and sustainable development policies tailored to local conditions, Deputy Director-General of the International Poverty Reduction Centre, Xi Lin, has said.

Speaking during the ongoing Global Development Initiative Media Training Programme in Beijing, Lin said China’s poverty reduction strategy focused on developing local economies based on the unique needs and resources of different communities.

She said the country transformed itself from one of the world’s poorest nations to one that had eliminated absolute poverty by 2020 through strong political commitment, targeted investments and effective policy implementation.

According to Lin, more than 770 million Chinese lived in poverty in 1978, representing over 97.5 per cent of the population. By 2020, however, the government declared that absolute poverty had been eradicated nationwide.

She attributed the achievement to disciplined leadership, long-term planning and sustained investments in rural development, including road infrastructure, education, healthcare, financial inclusion and social protection.

Tracing China’s poverty reduction journey, Lin said the country launched major agricultural reforms in 1986, established a dedicated poverty alleviation agency and identified impoverished counties for targeted intervention.

She noted that in 1994, China introduced the Priority Poverty Alleviation Programme, which sought to lift 80 million people out of poverty within seven years.

According to her, the country deepened its poverty reduction efforts after 2000 by introducing policies that mobilised residents of about 150,000 poor villages, encouraged business development and provided vocational training and labour transfer opportunities for rural communities.

Lin said China also created an enabling environment for emerging industries, including e-commerce, photovoltaic power generation and rural tourism, while promoting the consumption of products and services produced in poor rural communities.

She disclosed that more than 1.1 million kilometres of rural roads have been built or upgraded, while schools and health centres across rural China have been connected to the national electricity grid.

“Today, all villages in China have electricity,” she said.

Lin further revealed that between 2013 and 2020, China invested about 1.6 trillion RMB in poverty eradication programmes.

She said the funds were channelled into improving access to clean water, healthcare, education and transport infrastructure in disadvantaged communities.

To support entrepreneurship, Lin said small businesses and rural households received interest-free micro-credit loans of up to 50,000 RMB with a three-year moratorium.

“There is good follow-up, and officials are deployed to villages to help households ensure proper use of the loans,” she said.

She urged countries in the Global South to move beyond slogans by developing agro-industries and local economies based on their comparative advantages and ensuring that poverty reduction policies are measured by their effectiveness in improving the lives of vulnerable people.

Participants at the training programme said China’s poverty eradication model offers valuable lessons and a practical pathway for developing countries seeking to reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable development.