Speech at the National Conference to Review the Fight Against Poverty and Commend Outstanding Individuals and Groups

Speech at the National Conference to Review the Fight Against Poverty and Commend Outstanding Individuals and Groups

February 25, 2021

Comrades and friends,

Today, at this conference, we solemnly declare that through the efforts of the whole Party and the entire nation, China has secured a complete victory in its fight against absolute poverty in this important year, with the centenary of the Communist Party of China fast approaching.

All of the 99 million rural residents, who were lying below the current poverty line, have emerged from poverty, as have the 832 counties and 128,000 villages. All regional poverty has been eliminated, and the arduous task of eradicating absolute poverty has been completed, representing yet another astounding achievement. This is a great and glorious success for the Chinese people, for the CPC, and for the Chinese nation.

Here, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the exemplary individuals and groups who have been honored. My greatest respect goes to all those who have contributed to the fight against poverty, including:

• Party, government, and military bodies at all levels;
• enterprises and public institutions;
• village-level organizations, Party members, officials, and people in rural areas;
• first secretaries and members of resident work teams in villages and volunteers;
• various political parties, federations of industry and commerce, and prominent individuals without party affiliation;
• people’s groups;
• other people from all sectors of society.

Finally, I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to our compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan, as well as those overseas who have actively supported and participated in the fight against poverty, and to foreign governments, international organizations, and friends from all over the world who have shown concern and offered support for China’s poverty reduction efforts.

Comrades and friends,

Poverty is a problem that has long plagued humanity. Throughout history, combating poverty has remained an important matter of governance for countries around the world. The history of China is a chronicle of the Chinese people’s struggle against poverty. A deep longing to see the people free of poverty and well fed and clothed was expressed by great historical figures such as Qu Yuan who lamented, “Long did I sigh to hold back tears; saddened I am by the grief of my people.” Du Fu wrote forlornly, “If only I could build a house with thousands upon thousands of rooms, I would bring all the poor people on the earth under its roof and bring smiles to their faces.” Dr Sun Yat-sen yearned to see “every family living in plenty, with not a single person left behind”.

From the middle of the 19th century, China suffered political upheaval and incessant conflict due to the decadence of feudal rule and the aggression of Western powers. As the Chinese people struggled to earn their livelihood, the nightmare of poverty became an even greater torment. Escaping poverty thus became their constant goal and an important part of realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

From the outset, the CPC has pursued its mission of seeking happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It has shown steadfast commitment, uniting the people and leading them in a long and arduous struggle for a better life.

During the New Democratic Revolution (1919-1949), the CPC united the peasants and led them in overthrowing local tyrants and dividing up the land, put into effect the policy of “land to the tiller”, and helped liberate those living in destitution. Winning broad support from the vast majority of the people, it went on to secure victory in the Chinese revolution and ultimately founded the People’s Republic of China. This created the political base for eradicating poverty in China.

After the founding of the PRC in 1949, the CPC united the people and led them in completing the socialist revolution, establishing and developing socialism as the country’s fundamental system, and engaging in national construction. It mobilized the people and encouraged them to be self-reliant and work hard to bring order to the country and make it strong. This laid solid foundations for shaking off poverty and improving the lives of the people.

After the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, the CPC united the people and led them in carrying out well-conceived and well-organized initiatives for development-driven poverty alleviation on a massive scale, and devoted itself to releasing and developing productive forces and to ensuring and improving public wellbeing, achieving remarkable and unprecedented results in the process.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee has made it clear that in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the most arduous tasks are to be found in rural areas, particularly impoverished rural areas, and that this goal cannot be considered complete unless these areas have reached moderate prosperity. The Central Committee has also emphasized that poverty is not compatible with socialism, and that if impoverished areas were to remain poor and unchanged for a long time with no noticeable improvement to people’s lives, then there would be no grounds for asserting the superiority of China’s socialist system. This, too, would be contrary to socialism, and therefore we must lose no time in the fight against poverty.

At the end of 2012, not long after the Party’s 18th National Congress, the Central Committee stated, “The measurement for moderate prosperity lies in the rural areas.” It pledged that not a single poverty-stricken area or individual would be left behind, and this launched the battle against poverty in the new era.

In 2013, the Central Committee introduced the concept of targeted poverty alleviation and created new working mechanisms for poverty alleviation.

At the Central Conference on Poverty Alleviation and Development in 2015, overall requirements were raised for fulfilling the objectives of the fight against poverty. Standards were set in six areas to ensure the precision of the work: identifying the poor accurately, arranging targeted programs, utilizing capital efficiently, taking household-based measures, dispatching first Party secretaries based on village conditions, and achieving the set goals. The Central Committee launched five key measures through which people would be lifted out of poverty: new economic activities, relocation from uninhabitable areas, recompense for eco-protection, education, and social assistance for basic needs. This sounded the call for a general offensive to win the battle against poverty.

At the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, comprehensive plans were drawn up to achieve targeted poverty alleviation, as poverty, pollution, and major risks had been identified as the targets of three critical battles. To achieve the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the CPC focused its efforts on breaking through the last strongholds of absolute poverty and securing a decisive victory in this battle.

In 2020, the Central Committee called on the whole Party and the entire nation to work even harder and with greater determination, to effectively meet the challenges posed by Covid-19 and severe flooding, and to march with full confidence towards the final victory in the battle against poverty.

Over the past eight years, the Central Committee has made the battle against poverty a top priority in national governance and a fundamental component of moderate prosperity, and mobilized all the people to work to this end. With determination, endurance, and the courage to take on tough challenges, the Party and the people have liberated one stronghold after another from the grips of poverty, achieving a great and historic success.

– The entire rural poor population has emerged from poverty, a key contribution towards the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Every year since 2012, an average of more than 10 million people, equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country, have escaped from poverty. Poor people have seen their incomes grow by a significant margin, while their basic food and clothing needs have been guaranteed and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing and drinking water has been ensured. More than 20 million poor people with health issues have received proper treatment, and families that were once haunted by the specter of serious illness have been freed from that burden. Nearly 20 million impoverished people have received subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor; more than 24 million people with disabilities who faced financial difficulties, and people with severe disabilities, have received living or nursing subsidies. More than 1.1 million impoverished people have become forest wardens, earning their livelihood by protecting the environment.

Whether on the snowy plateau, in the gobi desert, or under the shade of cliffs and mountains, the poverty eradication campaign has reached every corner of the country, helping countless people transform their future, realize their dream, and find a better life.

– Areas that have been the target of poverty elimination efforts have taken great strides to catch up in terms of economic and social development, and experienced dramatic and historic change.

In impoverished areas, the pace of development has accelerated, economic strength has grown, and infrastructure has developed in leaps and bounds. At the same time, great progress has been made with social programs, and long-standing problems that have made it hard in the past for people to move around, attend school, seek medical attention, access safe drinking water and electricity, and communicate with the outside world have finally been resolved. School dropouts from registered poor families during the compulsory education stage have come back to school.

Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. An additional 1.1 million kilometers of rural roads have been built or upgraded, and 35,000 kilometers of new rail lines have been built. Reliability of power grids in impoverished rural areas has reached 99 percent, while 100 percent of poor villages on major grids are now connected to three-phase power. The provision of both fiber optics and 4G connections to poor villages has surpassed 98 percent.

Unsafe housing occupied by 7.9 million households, representing almost 26 million poor people, has been renovated; 35,000 residential communities and 2.66 million housing units have been built for more than 9.6 million people who have emerged from poor, isolated and backward places.

Many villagers have bid farewell to rope crossings as bridges are built over the rift valleys, to bitter and saline water as they now have clean water to drink, and to houses built of beaten earth and straw that were exposed to the elements, as they have moved into bright and spacious new homes built of brick and tile.

Millions of children from poor families now have more equitable educational opportunities, and no longer have to endure the daily trek to class now that they can board at school.

All the 28 ethnic groups with smaller populations have been lifted out of poverty. Some of these ethnic groups, who transitioned directly from primitive to socialist society after the founding of the PRC, skipping forward a thousand years of social evolution, have now made a second historic leap from poverty and backwardness to all-round moderate prosperity. All of the last strongholds of poverty in deeply impoverished areas have been breached, and in the areas that have exited poverty, beauty and change can be seen everywhere one goes.

– People who have shaken off poverty are thriving, with the confidence and courage to rely on themselves.

The fight against poverty has yielded gratifying results both in the material sense and the psychological sense. Those who have been lifted out of poverty have been instilled with the drive to keep pushing forward, while the core socialist values and healthy conduct have spread and taken root in society. The desire to do hard, solid work and build a happier life with one’s own hands has become the norm in poverty-stricken areas.

Party Secretary Mao Xianglin of Xiazhuang Village in Wushan County, Chongqing, led the locals in a seven-year effort to carve a path along precipitous cliffs to the outside world. He said, “It was gratifying to widen and lengthen the mountain path inch by inch and foot by foot. Even if our generation has to endure poverty and hardship for another decade, we are resolved to ensure that the next generation lives a better life.”

Zhang Shundong, a disabled yet determined villager from Pingzi Village in Dongchuan District, Kunming, Yunnan Province, said, “Though we are impaired physically, we are not impaired in spirit. We still have brains to think and hands to work.”

The mental fortitude of poor people has been honed and reinforced in the fight against poverty. Now with firmer confidence, keener minds, and greater ambition, their external and internal transformation is complete.

– The relationships between the Party and the public and between officials and ordinary people have improved significantly, consolidating the foundations of CPC governance in rural areas.

Heeding the call of the Central Committee, Party members and organizations at all levels have spared no effort to accomplish their missions, and taken action to make good on their promises. In the fight against poverty, which has been no less of a battle despite the lack of gunsmoke, they have sown with painstaking effort and harvested rich results. Poverty alleviation officials have worked for others at the expense of their own families, and formed bonds of friendship and cooperation with the impoverished people they have served. They have worked tirelessly and put in extra hours all year round, endured the strain and fatigue of their posts, and stepped up at crucial moments to face challenges head-on, visiting countless families across the country through their effort and devotion. They have made their way up the highest mountains, trekked the most perilous roads, visited the most remote villages, and stayed with the poorest families. Wherever the need was greatest, that is where they have been found, hard at work.

Here I would like to quote two village officials:

“As long as I am still standing, I will always work for the people of this village. I will see them live a better life.”

“As a CPC member, I must lead the people in weeding out the roots of poverty.”

Grassroots Party organizations have played their key role. In their efforts to strengthen the CPC and promote poverty eradication, they have honed their best qualities, become stronger and more cohesive, and added to their capacity for governance. People in poverty-stricken areas have listened to the Party, sensed its support, and followed its lead. Here are a few relevant quotes:

“With Party members taking the lead and us following that lead, there is hope that poverty will be eliminated.”

“We love to hang the national flag, because there is no better symbol of good fortune.”

“Just as he who drinks the water cannot forget who has dug the well, we cannot forget the Party for helping us escape poverty.”

All this is evidence that the relationships between the Party and the public and between officials and ordinary people have been greatly strengthened.

– China has set an example and made a significant contribution to global poverty reduction.

Casting off poverty has always been a prominent issue in global development and governance. Since the launch of reform and opening up, China has lifted 770 million rural poor out of poverty according to current standards, and contributed to more than 70 percent of global poverty reduction during this period according to the World Bank’s international poverty line.

It should be highlighted that even with severe global poverty and increasing polarization between rich and poor in certain countries, China has achieved the poverty reduction target set in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, winning wide acclaim from the international community.

We have actively conducted international cooperation on poverty reduction, fulfilled our international obligations, provided other developing countries with all possible assistance, and acted as a champion for global poverty reduction.

No other country throughout history has been able to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty in such a short period of time. This achievement is China’s, but it also belongs to the world, and has contributed Chinese strength to the development of a global community of shared future.

Over the past eight years, I have presided over seven central conferences on poverty alleviation, carried out more than 50 inspection tours on poverty alleviation work, and visited 14 contiguous impoverished areas. In the process, I have endeavored to see poverty in its rawest form, and to find out how poverty alleviation measures are being carried out, providing tangible assistance to the people who really need it and delivering genuine outcomes. I have spoken with poor people face to face and in great detail about their lives, and experienced first-hand the tremendous changes brought about by the fight against poverty. In places across the country, I have seen people who have escaped poverty smiling from the heart. These smiles are the greatest affirmation of the fight against poverty, the best possible reward for the dedicated work of Party members and officials, and the ultimate tribute to the revolutionaries and martyrs that came before us.

Comrades and friends,

Trying times make heroes out of ordinary men and women. Millions of officials have devoted themselves to the battle against poverty, and done hard and solid work. They have empathized with impoverished people, lived in their villages, and worked alongside them. They have given their prime to the cause of poverty elimination, and performed many exemplary deeds.

Among them are:

• Li Baoguo, who dedicated himself to poverty alleviation in the Taihang Mountains for 35 years, like the “foolish old man” in the ancient fable who conquered the mountains through his persistence;
• Zhang Guimei, who ignited hope among girls living deep in the mountains through her commitment to education;
• Huang Dafa, who made good on his promise that he would complete his village canal, even if it cost him his life;
• Huang Wenxiu, who returned from the city to work in her hometown, lighting a new path for young people in the new era;
• Huang Shiyan, who fought poverty with his life and fell in the line of duty;
• all the other exemplary individuals and groups being honored here today.

Allow me to quote some of them:

“On the road that has led millions upon millions of people out of poverty, I was really just a tiny cobblestone. Though we went through bitter hardship to get where we are today, its acrid aftertaste has been dispelled by the sweetness of success.”

“Farmers will only trust you and listen to you if you show them that you are not out for personal gain.”

“You are only truly capable if you can take what you have learned and put it into practice on this land.”

In the fight against poverty, more than 1,800 Party members laid down their lives for the ideals that we as Communists have always cherished. Their sacrifice will go down in history and will never be forgotten by the Party, the people, or our country. Party committees and governments at all levels should show care and compassion to the families of those who have given their lives, and do all they can to make their noble spirit and their exploits widely known. They should serve as examples to inspire officials and the public to make brave new advances towards the Second Centenary Goal.

Comrades and friends,

We have won international acclaim for our achievements in the fight against poverty. These achievements would not have been possible without the strong leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people’s spirit of self-reliance and hard work, the solid material foundations laid down since the founding of the PRC and particularly since the launch of reform and opening up, the perseverance and dedication of one official after another, and the concerted efforts of all the Party members and all the Chinese people.

Based on our national conditions and our understanding of the structures underlying poverty alleviation, we have adopted a series of distinctive policies and measures, established a whole set of effective policies, working mechanisms and systems, pioneered a unique Chinese path to poverty reduction, and formed a Chinese theory on fighting poverty.

– We have upheld the leadership of the CPC to provide solid political and organizational guarantees for the fight against poverty.

We have upheld the centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee over the fight against poverty, and planned and promoted related initiatives as part of the Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy. We have strengthened the working mechanism under which the central leadership makes overall plans, provincial authorities assume overall responsibility, and city and county authorities take charge of implementation. We have worked to ensure that secretaries of Party committees at the provincial, city, county, township, and village levels tackled poverty alleviation as a major priority, and that all Party members were mobilized in the fight.

We have put in place a system whereby top leaders of the Party and government bodies take full responsibility for the fight against poverty, with the leaders of 22 provincial-level administrative units in the central and western regions signing pledges to the central authorities that they would achieve their objectives. Furthermore, we arranged that Party and government chiefs of impoverished counties would not be moved to new posts while poverty eradication efforts were ongoing in their areas.

We have worked to build up village organizations led by the Party organization at the same level, and to strengthen village-level Party organizations so that they can be more effective in leading the people out of poverty. We have sent our best teams to the main battlefields of the fight against poverty, assigning 255,000 work teams and more than 3 million first secretaries and officials to villages nationwide, where they worked on the front lines alongside nearly 2 million town and township officials and millions of village officials. The bright red flag of the CPC has always flown high on the main battlefields of the fight against poverty.

The CPC has proved that it has unparalleled capacity to lead, organize and implement, and that it is the most reliable force for uniting the people and guiding them to overcome difficulties and forge ahead. As long as we are steadfast in our commitment to upholding the leadership of the Party, we will be able to overcome any difficulties or obstacles on the road ahead and fulfill the people’s aspirations for a better life.

– We have adhered to the people-centered development philosophy, and followed the path of common prosperity without deviation.

To quote an ancient Chinese historian, “The key to running a country is to first enrich the people.” We have always stood on the side of the people, and consistently emphasized that eradicating poverty, improving the people’s lives, and achieving common prosperity are essential requirements of socialism. They are important manifestations of the CPC’s commitment to its fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, and major responsibilities of the Party and the government.

We have made public satisfaction an important measure for the effectiveness of poverty eradication initiatives, and focused our efforts on addressing the basic needs of the poor. We have given full play to the guiding role of government investment, cutting back on a number of other major projects to ensure funding for poverty eradication. Over the past eight years, central, provincial, city and county governments have earmarked a total of almost RMB1.6 trillion for poverty alleviation, of which RMB660.1 billion came from the central government.

The critical battle against poverty was launched in 2012. The following are some of the funds that have been directed to poverty alleviation:

• more than RMB440 billion from land transfer between and within provinces to ensure cropland acreage and proper land use for construction;
• more than RMB710 billion in microloans and RMB668.8 billion in re-lending to help the poor;
• RMB9.2 trillion in loans for targeted poverty alleviation;
• more than RMB100.5 billion of government fiscal support and non-governmental financial help provided by nine eastern provinces and municipalities to the areas with which they were collaborating on poverty alleviation;
• over RMB1 trillion invested in poverty-stricken areas by designated enterprises from the eastern region.

We have integrated government funds for rural development, strengthened scrutiny over funds for poverty alleviation, and ensured that the money is used where it is needed most. These investments have provided strong capital guarantees for winning the fight against poverty.

Our experience demonstrates clearly that for the undertakings of the Party and country to be accomplished, all initiatives must serve one immutable goal – realizing, defending and developing the fundamental interests of the people, while a conscious effort must be made to ensure that reform and development offer greater benefits to all the people in a fair way. As long as we follow the people-centered development philosophy and keep working year by year to tackle one issue after another, we will be able to make clear and substantial progress in achieving common prosperity for all our people.

– We have leveraged the strengths of China’s socialist system in pooling resources behind major undertakings and are united in will and action to fight poverty.

We have mobilized the whole Party, the entire nation, and all sectors of society to join the war against poverty. This has allowed us to bring together the strength of the Party, the government, the military, the public, and the academic community across the country, and channel it towards the fight.

We have reinforced collaboration between the eastern and western regions on poverty alleviation, encouraged provinces, cities and counties to pair up with their counterparts and provide assistance, and promoted the flow of talent, capital and technology to impoverished areas.

We have organized and launched poverty alleviation assistance to designated areas, involving all central Party and government departments, the other political parties, people’s organizations, state-owned enterprises, and the armed forces. We have ensured that all key counties under the national development-driven poverty alleviation initiative can turn to somebody for help.

Different industries and sectors have brought their specializations to bear to fight poverty through the development of local businesses, science and technology, education, cultural programs and health services, and by boosting the consumption of products and services from poor areas. Private enterprises, social organizations, and individual citizens have enthusiastically participated in poverty alleviation initiatives, and the “10,000 enterprises helping 10,000 villages” campaign has built up great momentum.

We have established a comprehensive setup for poverty alleviation in which government-sponsored projects, sector-specific programs, and societal assistance supplement each other, as well as a social poverty alleviation system featuring coordination between regions, departments and organizations in which all of society participates. The tens of millions of positive actions that have helped the poor demonstrate the tremendous compassion of our society, and have merged to form an unstoppable force.

CPC leadership and our socialist system have proved to be the fundamental guarantees for withstanding risks and challenges and overcoming difficulties through concerted efforts. As long as we uphold the leadership of the CPC and follow the path of Chinese socialism, we will be able to confront other serious challenges like poverty eradication, and advance from victory to victory.

– We have followed a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation, and eliminated the root causes of poverty through development.

We have emphasized that a targeted approach is the crux of the fight against poverty. We have committed to precise work in poverty alleviation in terms of the management of target groups, allocation of resources, and provision of assistance, and set up a national registration system to ensure that resources have reached the people and the places that truly needed them. To identify the targets of poverty alleviation, determine who to help and how to help, and make clear how to apply an exit mechanism for those who have emerged from poverty, we have adopted a set of targeted policies tailored to individual villages, households, and people, to their specific conditions, and to the circumstances that made them poor in the first place, so that we can address the root causes of poverty with precision.

We have demanded meticulous efforts to ensure that poverty alleviation work hits the target, addresses the problem at its roots, and gets to the families who need it, so that the average progress does not mask cases of individual hardship. Through our commitment to development-driven poverty alleviation, under which development is the fundamental approach to eliminating poverty, we have improved conditions and boosted capacity for development, bringing about a shift in poverty alleviation from simply injecting help into poverty-stricken areas to enabling these areas to help themselves. This has made development the most effective means of eliminating poverty, and the most reliable path towards a better life.

We have maintained a keen focus on education as an essential vehicle for helping people out of poverty and towards prosperity, emphasizing that no child should be deprived of education or opportunities and lose out before the race has even begun because they are poor. We have worked hard to give every child the chance to excel in life, and done our best to break the chain of intergenerational poverty.

Targeted poverty alleviation has proved to be the “magic weapon” for winning the battle against poverty, while the development-driven approach has emerged as the distinctive feature of China’s path to poverty reduction. As long as we stick to targeted and rational methods, impose precise requirements on our work, and continue to address imbalanced and insufficient development through development itself, we will be able to provide a sound path forward and lasting momentum for economic and social development and for improving people’s lives.

– We are committed to mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of impoverished people so that they have the drive to lift themselves out of poverty.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Han Fei Zi said, “The key to achieving your aspirations lies not in overcoming others but in overcoming your own weaknesses.” Similarly, to shake off poverty, the poor must shake off the mindset of poverty. We have focused on making the people’s desire for a better life a strong source of motivation in the fight against poverty. We have helped poor people build the confidence and capacity to help themselves, and seen that their pockets are full and their minds are keen, while encouraging them to lift themselves out of poverty and change their lives by relying on their own hard work and tenacity. We have helped them understand that it is better to put in hard work now than spend more hard years waiting, that they will achieve prosperity as long as they believe in themselves, and that even the weakest in the flock can catch up through perseverance. Our encouragement has warmed their hearts and stirred them into action.

To quote two individuals who have risen from poverty:

“Now that the state policies are in place, as long as we get to work rather than sit by and wait, we can surely create better lives for ourselves.”

“Life has changed me, and I have changed my life.”

The people have shown themselves to be the real heroes, and boosting their own drive to be self-reliant and work hard has been vital in arming them to create better lives for themselves. As long as we continue to work for the people, rely on them, respect their principal position and creativity, and tap into their wisdom and strength, we will achieve even greater success.

– We have promoted the virtues of solidarity and mutual help, creating an atmosphere in which all of society helps those in need.

We have encouraged all of society to practice the core socialist values and to keep alive the traditional Chinese virtues of looking out for one another, coming together in times of difficulty, and helping those in need. We have guided all sectors of society in showing care for the poor and concern for the cause of poverty reduction, and in committing themselves to the campaign. We have refined mechanisms for mobilizing society, set up platforms for society-wide participation, and created new forms of social assistance, so that everybody has the desire, the ability, and the tools to help.

The core socialist values and China’s fine traditional culture have proved to be a powerful force for rallying people’s support and pooling their strength. As long as we remain firm in our moral values, as long as we continue to inspire positive energy that will drive all of society towards goodness and excellence, we will be able to equip the Chinese nation with an inexhaustible source of inner strength with which we can cleave the waves and sail forward.

– We have persevered with a realistic and pragmatic approach when confronting tough challenges, in order to ensure that our poverty alleviation initiatives reach those who truly need help.

We have incorporated the requirement to enforce full and rigorous Party self-governance throughout the process and in every aspect of the fight against poverty. With steely determination, we have carried the fight to the end. We have highlighted the need to follow a pragmatic approach, strictly enforce established rules, and avoid becoming bogged down in red tape or being deflected by impractical measures or superficial, eye-catching initiatives. We have resolutely opposed approaches that do not address problems properly, indiscriminate distribution of resources without regard for priorities, unrealistic projects pursued solely for show, and pointless formalities and bureaucratism; instead we have focused all of our work on addressing the problems of the poor. We have put in place the most rigorous assessments and evaluations possible, worked to address corruption and misconduct in the field of poverty alleviation, and established a comprehensive monitoring system, so that the results of our poverty eradication efforts stand the test of time and win the approval of the people.

By devoting the majority of our energy to following through with our plans and committing ourselves to doing solid and hard work, we have ensured victory in the fight against poverty. As long as we keep making concrete efforts for the good of our country and our people, we will be able to realize the grand blueprint for building a fully modern socialist country one step at a time.

The important knowledge and experience we have gained have shaped China’s theory on poverty alleviation. They are the latest achievement in adapting Marxist theory on poverty to the Chinese context, and a valuable resource that must therefore be preserved and developed over the long term.

Comrades and friends,

A great cause breeds a great spirit, and is in turn guided by it. Our struggle against poverty has forged such a spirit, through which we have all come together, put our all into the fight, made precise and pragmatic efforts, launched pioneering initiatives, overcome difficulties, and worked hard to live up to the people’s expectations. This is a vivid representation of the nature and purpose of the CPC, the determination of the Chinese people, and the essence of the Chinese nation, a concentrated reflection of patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, a full manifestation of China’s spirit, values, and strength, and a confirmation of our great national spirit and our readiness to respond to the call of the times. The whole Party, the entire nation, and all of society should carry forward the spirit of the battle against poverty, continue to unite and fight heroically, overcome any difficulties and risks that lie on the road ahead, and achieve new and greater victories in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Comrades and friends,

Our complete victory in the fight against absolute poverty signifies that a substantial step forward has been made in the CPC’s efforts to unite the people and lead them in the pursuit of a better life and common prosperity. At the same time, however, shaking off poverty is not the finish line, but rather the starting point of a new quest and a new endeavor. We still have a long way to go to solve the problem of imbalanced and insufficient development, narrow the gap between urban and rural areas and between regions, and achieve well-rounded development and common prosperity for all our people. We cannot therefore be complacent or rest on our laurels; we must build on our current momentum, make further efforts, and keep fighting.

As an old Chinese saying goes, “The most difficult part of victory is not the winning, but the sustaining.” We must take concrete steps to consolidate and expand upon the outcomes of the fight against poverty as part of our effort to promote rural revitalization, so that the foundations of poverty eradication are more solid and the effects are more sustainable. We will carefully monitor populations that are at risk of lapsing or relapsing into poverty, and work to ensure early detection, early intervention, and early assistance. We will see that businesses and industries in areas that have escaped poverty are fostered through long-term support to boost sustainable, locally-driven development.

We will improve follow-up support for people who have been relocated from inhospitable areas, facilitate their employment through multiple channels, strengthen social management, and promote their integration into new communities. To buttress counties that have emerged from poverty, we will institute a transition period during which the main poverty alleviation support policies will generally remain in place. We will continue and improve systems for stationing first secretaries and work teams in villages, promoting cooperation between the eastern and western regions, facilitating assistance through pairing programs, and providing social assistance, and make corresponding adjustments as our circumstances and tasks evolve.

The Central Committee has decided that timely arrangements should be made for follow-up assessments on the consolidation of poverty eradication outcomes, and that Party committees and governments at all levels should be held accountable for consolidating these achievements, so as to ensure that people do not return to poverty in large numbers.

Rural revitalization is a major strategy for bringing about our national rejuvenation. New circumstances and requirements arise as we seek to ground ourselves in this new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, and foster a new development dynamic. Under the new circumstances and requirements, to address problems related to agriculture, rural areas, and rural people will be our Party’s top priority. The development of agriculture and rural areas will come first. We will follow a Chinese socialist path to rural revitalization, and continue to narrow the development gaps between urban and rural areas and between regions, so that low-income people and less developed areas can share in the fruits of development and catch up in the process of modernization rather than falling behind.

Comprehensively implementing the rural revitalization strategy will be no less of a challenge than the fight against poverty in terms of depth, breadth and difficulty. We must therefore improve our policies, working mechanisms, and systems. We will adopt more forceful measures and pool more formidable strength to accelerate agricultural and rural modernization, promote quality and efficiency in agriculture, make rural areas attractive places to live and work in, and see that rural residents become more prosperous.

On our new journey towards a modern socialist country, we must raise the common prosperity of all our people to a more prominent position, doing consistent, results-oriented work as we make more active and effective efforts towards this goal. We must promote the well-rounded development of individuals together with all-round social progress, and ensure that our people always have a strong sense of gain, fulfillment and security.

Comrades and friends,

Looking back, we have achieved a great and historic success in solving the problem of absolute poverty that plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and we have created a miracle in the history of poverty reduction. Looking ahead, we are now striving towards the goal of building an all-round modern socialist country. The journey will be long, and all we can do is keep fighting and move forward. The whole Party and the entire nation must unite more closely around the central leadership and dedicate ourselves to doing solid work. We must display confidence, determination, and an indomitable spirit as we advance towards the Second Centenary Goal.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)