Can China’s experience of Poverty Alleviation work for Africa?

Published: July 17,2023

By Staff writer

China has steadily and miraculously eliminated absolute poverty in less than a generation. China has made the fastest progress among developing countries on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, China achieved the poverty reduction goal of the SDGs 10 years before schedule.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China announced that China is prepared to invest more resources in global development cooperation and remains committed to narrowing the North-South gap, and supporting and assisting other developing countries to boost their development. China and Africa enjoy mutual cooperation through different forums like FOCAC and BRI.

According to the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in 2022, a total of 832 impoverished counties and close to 100 million poor rural residents have been lifted out of poverty, and among them, more than 9.6 million poverty-stricken people have been relocated from inhospitable areas.

Africa has about 60% of the world’s arable land and owns vast natural resources like: oil, gold, diamonds, timber and more. Additionally, Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Such a high number of young people is an opportunity for the continent’s growth – but only if these new generations are fully empowered to realize their best potential.

However, with all the above fortunes; Africa has the largest share of extreme poverty rates globally, having 23 of the 28 poorest countries in the world. Worse still, about 30 million more Africans fell into extreme poverty when COVID-19 broke out in 2020. Before the pandemic struck, over 445 million people – equivalent to 34% of Africa’s population – lived below the poverty line.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of COVID-19, Africa is not likely to meet SDG 1 – to end poverty in all its forms for 97 percent of the population.

It is against this background that Africa-China Review organized a one day webinar to discuss how other countries especially from the global south can get out of extreme poverty as China managed to do. The seminar will bring together academics, experts, researchers, private sector and media professionals from Africa, China and Kyrgyzstan.

The meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 19^th, 2023 at 16.00hrs Beijing time, 11.00am (EAT), 10.00am (CAT).