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SCIO briefing on white paper 'Poverty Alleviation: China's Experience and Contribution'

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Phoenix TV:

Some media outlets have stated that China's current poverty alleviation standards are lower than the standards set by the World Bank. What are your thoughts on this? Thank you.

Wang Zhengpu:

This is a frequently asked question, and I noticed that many reporters also asked this question during the sessions of China's top legislature and top political advisory body held this March. The spokespersons of the two sessions have already answered it many times. Since you're asking again today, let's allow Mr. Hong Tianyun, deputy head in charge of the matter, to answer your question.

Hong Tianyun:

Thank you very much. The determination of national standards based on the national economy, the level of social development and the basic living needs of the poor population have been consistent and ongoing practices in China since the implementation of the large-scale, planned and organized poverty alleviation program. China first formulated poverty alleviation standards in 1986. The standard at that time was 206 yuan, and the corresponding number of people living in poverty was 125 million. The priority was to solve the problem of food and clothing. The second time was when the country's first 10-year Outline of Development-driven Poverty Alleviation in Rural Areas was formulated in 2001, when the standard was raised to 865 yuan, corresponding to 94.23 million poor people. The third time was the formulation of the China's second 10-year Outline of Development-driven Poverty Alleviation in Rural Areas in 2011. The standard was raised again to 2,300 yuan, which was based on the 2010 constant price, corresponding to 122 million poor people.

Since the poverty alleviation work began, the identification and alleviation of the poor population in China have been based on the unit of households. The measurement standard is "one income, two no-worries and three guarantees," which is easy for grassroots and frontline officials and people to remember. What are the identification standard and poverty alleviation standard? They are these "one," "two," and "three." The "one income" refers to the annual per capita net income stably exceeding the current national poverty alleviation standard, which is 2,300 yuan as I just mentioned, with the current amount being about 4,000 yuan by 2020. The "two no-worries" and "three guarantees" refer to stable realizations of "no worries about food" and "no worries about clothing," as well as guarantees on "compulsory education," "basic medical care" and "housing safety." In the specific implementation process, the guarantee of the safety of drinking water is also included. The standard for the lifting of the poor population out of poverty in China is a comprehensive multi-dimensional standard, which not only considers income, but also the realization of poor people's rights to live and to develop. On the whole, it is higher than the extreme poverty standard of the World Bank, and also higher than the absolute poverty line determined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set by the UN in 2015. It reflects the reality of China's socio-economic development and the basic requirements for building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects.

I would like to share a statistics report. By the end of 2020, the net income per capita of China's registered poor population reached 10,740 yuan, far exceeding the international extreme poverty standard. Next, in accordance with the relevant requirements and arrangements of the CPC central committee and the central government on effective connection between consolidating and expanding the results of poverty alleviation and rural vitalization, we will maintain the overall stability of the existing policies, support and further help areas and people lifted out of poverty; continue to support the development and growth of industries of rural characteristics in poverty-alleviation areas; promote stable employment for people who have escaped poverty; provide solid follow-up support for people relocated from inhospitable areas; ensure stable and continuous income growth for people lifted out of poverty; and move toward the goal of gradually realizing common prosperity for all. Thank you.

Yomiuri Shimbun:

China's goal is to achieve more obvious substantive progress for the common prosperity of everyone by 2035. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential to increase the income of farmers and develop rural areas. What kind of policies and measures will the National Administration for Rural Vitalization adopt? Thank you.

Hong Tianyun:

Thank you. The topic of rural vitalization is very popular today, and my colleagues have responded from different angles and aspects. By 2035, we will make more obvious substantive progress in achieving common prosperity for everyone as a mid- to long-term strategic goal set by the CPC and the central government. Rural vitalization involves a wide range of areas. It is a long-term and arduous task. It needs to bring together the powerful forces of the whole Party and all aspects of society to promote its implementation, and requires coordinated operations and joint advancement by all regions and departments. There is an old saying in China: "When everyone helps gather firewood, the flames rise high." I hope everyone will work together to promote, support and participate in this work.

We are duty-bound to promote rural vitalization in an all-round way. The administration for rural vitalization will work with relevant departments to further promote the implementation of various measures. At the same time, we must focus on the key points. Regarding the increase in farmers' income, this will mainly be achieved by developing industries, promoting employment, and continually increasing farmers' operating income and wages. This is the main source of income for rural people in China, and we must make great efforts to do it well. Regarding the development of rural areas, the next step is to start implementing rural construction activities, vigorously implement rural infrastructure construction, continuously improve the level of public services in rural areas, and promote the development of urban and rural integration. Meanwhile, we will continue to strengthen rural governance, promote the development of rural social undertakings and rural culture, further advance cultural and ethical progress, and continuously improve the level of good governance in rural areas. Our country is very large, and the differences among provinces, regions and municipalities are relatively big. East China is one step ahead, and there are many mature and successful experiences. The central and western regions are doing relevant work in a concrete, detailed and competent manner through studying and promoting these experiences.