We can do it

China offers referential experiences and inspiration for the world to realize the goal of lifting all people out of extreme poverty

At the height of the novel coronavirus outbreak worldwide, China announced last year that it had achieved its goal of eradicating extreme poverty, which is the basic premise for realizing a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and a key step toward the centenary goal of building a prosperous society by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2049.

There is certainly no better expression of fidelity to the founding mission of the Communist Party of China, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year.

In 1949, just 28 years after its establishment, the CPC assumed power in a country devastated by decades of wars.

China's GDP that year was the same as it was in 1890, and the majority of its sizeable population was struggling with poverty, illiteracy and the country's backward development. Although the long march toward the eradication of poverty started with minimal resources, and despite the territorial, demographic and material challenges that had to be overcome, the mission has been achieved.

How was it possible? There are several aspects to consider. First, there has been a sustained focus on development. Undoubtedly, the transformation of production was decisive in generating opportunities for the general improvement of people's standards of living. Second, a strong political will committed to the interests of the public has ensured that development successes do not result in the reproduction of chronic and unsustainable inequalities. Third, the country has explored and innovated its own development path and formed its own development model suited to its own actual conditions. The CPC has continually been at the forefront of China's modernization drive, and it has repeatedly shown its ability to identify genuine and ultimately successful development strategies. The results of these are visible to all: The country has become an economic and scientific powerhouse, with a growing middle-income group that already comprises about one-third of its population.

Under the leadership of the CPC, the country has successfully left behind the chaos and poverty from which it emerged to assume its place as a leading member of the international community. Eradicating extreme poverty is a shared ambition of global community. However, many times people have resignedly faced poverty as an insurmountable reality, saying "Life is like that. That's just how it is." China has proved that it doesn't have to be like that.

Demonstrating that extreme poverty can be brought to an end is extraordinarily impactful, not just for China itself, but also for the international community.

The first thing to bear in mind is that it was not the market alone that solved the problem but the sustained implementation of ambitious public policies. China has shown that a well-designed public strategy is needed to correct imbalances and inequalities in order to promote healthy economic development. Strong leadership is needed to draw up action plans and ensure they are effectively implemented, with the recognition that there are things that the market cannot fix, but only complicates.

A second observation concerns the experience that is inspirational for other developing countries. The benefits attributed to liberalism have been widely preached as a magic wand to fight poverty. In general, the success of this has been limited, and it has failed to address imbalances and inequalities. On the contrary, they have been exacerbated. In China, the State has taken determined and successful actions to eliminate imbalances and inequalities.

In many developing countries on various continents, poverty is considered an insurmountable scourge, and the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating it. But China, with the trident of development, political will and effective governance, offers the example that national efforts can eliminate it.

There are, therefore, lessons to be learned from the Chinese experience. It is evident that maybe it cannot be copied, but it offers experiential resources for others. And on the global level, within the framework of the institutions and forums related to the fight against poverty, reflection is required to incorporate this learning into world governance.

China's contribution to reducing poverty in the world exceeds 70 percent, which should not be ignored.

Today, China is a globally recognized actor in promoting cooperation of infrastructure, trade, agricultural technology, production capacity under the Belt and Road Initiative, human resources training and innovation, all of which vary in their potential to turn the situation around.

It would be very useful to establish a global dialogue on development and poverty to improve the international aid system that has not been able to alleviate the misery of so many impoverished communities.

Much has been achieved, but even in China ending poverty is far from being mission over. Avoiding the risk of those who have been lifted out of poverty slipping back into it again will require ongoing vigilance and action and also a sustained fight against inequalities. But what China has achieved constitutes an incentive and an excellent source of inspiration for the world to continue striving to realize the goal of zero poverty.

The author is director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain.