Over the past decades, China has earned global recognition for its outstanding success in poverty alleviation, lifting over millions of people out of poverty.

However, beyond this achievement, the Chinese government has laid out a long-term, comprehensive strategy to ensure that poverty does not return and that development remains inclusive and sustainable.

Wang Sangui, Prof of the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, shared the information in a lecture held at Multi-functional Hall in Diplomatic Residence Compound (DRC) in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wang Sangui, also the Director of China Anti-Poverty Research Institute, said sustainable fast economic growth through rural reform, agricultural development, labour intensive manufacturing and employment has played a crucial role in China's poverty reduction.

Accurately targeted poverty alleviation was put forward by President Xi Jinping during his investigation in western Hunan in November 2013: "Poverty alleviation should be practical and realistic, and adjust measures to local conditions. To do accurately targeted poverty alleviation, do not shout slogans, and do not set ambitious goals."

The accurately targeted poverty alleviation is to help the poor by targeting poor households and poor people, and to solve the problems of who to support, how to help, and how to exit.

Targeted poverty alleviation has been identified as the basic strategy for poverty eradication in the war against poverty since 2013.

In accordance with the spirit of the document of the central office of the Communist Party of China, the Poverty Alleviation Office of the State Council formulated the "implementation plan for establishing an accurately targeted poverty alleviation mechanism"

Through this, China has identified 29.48 million poor households with a total population of 89.62 million in 2013.

Moreover, the country has registered all the poor households and population and details about the families, available resources, income sources, and reasons of poverty in the national poverty alleviation information system..

These identified and recorded poor households are the main targets of all types of poverty alleviation programmes.

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This approach focuses on identifying the root causes of poverty in different regions and tailoring solutions accordingly — whether through job creation, education, healthcare, or infrastructure development.

China’s success was formalised in 2021, when the country declared it had eliminated extreme poverty nationwide. But policymakers warned against complacency.

As poverty alleviation is not a one-time achievement, China has developed a monitoring system involving central and local governments to track the income and living conditions of vulnerable populations.

Villages and households identified as at risk of falling back into poverty are offered immediate support, including subsidies, employment training, and relocation assistance where necessary.

Replying to a question, Prof Wang Sangui, said industrial development has been remain a key pillar. So, the government has invested heavily in promoting rural industries such as agriculture, e-commerce, and tourism, helping to boost incomes and create local jobs. Infrastructure improvements — including roads, electricity, and internet access — have connected remote communities to larger economic systems.

Education and healthcare also play a critical role in this strategy.

The government has enhanced rural education opportunities and improved healthcare access through telemedicine and rural clinics, aiming to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.

One of the standout features of China’s model is its emphasis on local participation and leadership.

Grassroots officials, village leaders, and volunteers play an active role in implementing and monitoring programs, ensuring transparency and responsiveness to local needs.

To strengthen community-level poverty alleviation capacity, governments at
various levels have dispatched officials to act as first secretary and poverty relief
team leaders in 128,000 poverty-stricken villages.

China's long-term poverty alleviation strategy stands as a remarkable example of targeted policy, strong governance, and grassroots involvement.

While challenges remain in maintaining these gains and reducing inequality, China’s approach demonstrates that with sustained political will and coordinated efforts, large-scale poverty reduction is achievable.