Premier addresses global conference on poverty reduction

Premier addresses Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a speech at the Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction that opened Wednesday, May 26, in Shanghai, saying China will contribute its share in maintaining world peace and promoting common development through continuing actions in poverty reduction and consistent pursuit of peace, development and prosperity.

Wen reaffirmed China's commitment to global poverty reduction, noting that to eliminate poverty in a country of 1.3 billion people is in itself a major contribution to the global cause of poverty reduction.

The fact that the international community turns its attention to the poor who make up one-sixth of the world's population shows how much humanity has progressed and where it is headed, Wen said.

However, he said threats posed by poverty to peace and development continue unabated and for various reasons, progress in poverty reduction around the world has fallen short of

expectations and fulfilling the targets of poverty reduction and global development remains an uphill battle.

Wen attributed the widespread poverty to diverse social, historical and natural causes within the specific countries, noting it is also closely related to the existing unfair and irrational international political and economic order.

"Reducing and eliminating poverty is not just limited to the economic realm, but assumes a political dimension," he said. "It is not just an urgent task facing individual countries, but a shared responsibility for the international community as a whole."

To solve those problems, Wen proposed to strive to create an international and domestic environment of peace and stability, establish a new international political and economic order that is fair and rational, saying that the developed countries have a duty and responsibility to provide the developing countries with greater aid.

The developing countries should base themselves on self-reliance in achieving development and international organizations should play an enhanced role in global poverty reduction, Wen said.

As a large, populous developing country, China is a principal practitioner in fighting global poverty, the premier said.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, particularly the beginning of reform and opening-up, China has presided over a rapid and sustained economic expansion.

From 1979 to 2003, China's annual Gross National Products (GNP) grew from 362.4 billion yuan (43.8 billion US dollars) to 11.69 trillion yuan, representing an 8.4 fold increase after weighing in price fluctuation, Wen said.

The average annual growth rate of the national household consumption was seven percent for the same period and China's per capita reached 1,090 US dollars in 2003 based on the current exchange rate.

"The Chinese people have, on the whole, begun to lead a life of moderate prosperity," he said.

In parallel with China's economic development, from the 1980s onward, the Chinese Government introduced a number of large, consistent and productive programs of poverty alleviation and rural development, resulting in over 200 million rural poor having their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter met.

"This achievement will go down as a remarkable feat in human history," Wen said. He went on to elaborate on China's experience on poverty reduction.

The premier said that successful poverty reduction work hinges on better play of the superiority of the socialist system and stronger protection of people's rights to subsistence and development.

"We follow a road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, always taking economic development as our central task, striving to let the common people share the benefit of economic development, and working towards common prosperity, social justice and fairness," Wen said.

In 1994, the Chinese Government formulated the Seven-Year Priority Poverty Alleviation Program (1994-2000) and, in 2001, it launched the Development-Oriented Poverty Reduction Program (2001-2010).

These programs targeted the most urgent issue -- inadequate food, clothing and shelter -- and have concentrated resources for quick results.

Meanwhile, "development-oriented poverty reduction" must be pursued with a view to strengthening the capacity of the targeted population to fight poverty and attain prosperity, Wen said.

Wen said with guidance and enabling schemes, China has made the masses in the poverty-stricken areas the principal players of the anti-poverty campaign.

While keeping the government's leading role, efforts have been made to give the marketplace a full role to play with stepped up infrastructure development, economic restructuring and exploration of local resources so as to enhance the capacity of the poor areas for accumulation and development.

In particular, the popularization of the nine-year compulsory education in rural areas has increased the level of education among the poor and enhanced their capacity to find non-agricultural jobs, Wen said.

The level of health care for the vast number of farmers, particularly the poor, has also been raised thanks to improved and reformed health and medical systems in rural China.

Wen also said that the broadest community efforts should be mobilized for a society-wide campaign against poverty.

Wen said carrying forward China's fine traditions of helping the poor and needy, China has put in place a number of effective poverty-alleviation programs, ranging from the "East-West

Partnership" designed to let the more developed coastal areas help the poor areas in western and central-western China, "Project Hope", designed to keep poor children in school and the "Glorious Scheme", allowing the private businesses to make civic contributions for the poor, to "Women's Action for the Poor" designed to encourage women in poor areas to go for development.

"These programs have not only energized poverty reduction in rural areas, but also heightened the sense of responsibility throughout the Chinese society."

Despite rather impressive achievements in poverty alleviation, China remains a developing country with a relatively low income in per capita terms, Wen said.

As evidence of the rather acute problem of uneven development, China still has nearly 30 million rural citizens who do not have adequate food and clothing, over 20 million urban residents whose incomes are lower than the minimum standard, and over 60 million handicapped in need of help.

"Poverty alleviation in China remains a daunting task that needs long and hard work," Wen said.

Noting that the first twenty years of this century is a key period for China's endeavor to build a well-off society in an all-round way, Wen said China will adhere to the people-oriented principle and achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development.

"We will try to help a small portion of our population who still live in poverty have access to adequate food and clothing at an early date in the next ten years," Wen said, adding that China will further improve the basic living and production conditions in poor areas so as to secure the achievements we have scored in poverty reduction.

"We will enhance the quality of the life and overall capability of the poor population, step up infrastructure building in poor villages, improve the eco-system, and gradually bring the poor areas out of economic, social and cultural backwardness, thus creating favorable conditions for a well-off life," Wen said.

The premier appreciated international support from international institutions and countries represented by the World Bank as well as non-governmental organizations to China's poverty relief, saying that the Chinese Government always cherishes friendship, honors responsibility and keeps good faith.

China will do its utmost to promote South-South cooperation, gradually increase its development assistance to poor countries within its own capability and expand its trade and investment with other developing countries, the premier vowed.

Wen said the Chinese Government is ready to offer some selfless help to international poverty reduction efforts. In addition to a 50 million US dollars pledge to the "African Development Fund", China has decided to pledge another 30 million US dollars to the "Asian Development Fund".

Wen announced that the Chinese Government will contribute an extra 20 million US dollars to the Asia Development Bank (ADB) to create the "China Special Fund for Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation", in support of relevant endeavors in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Eliminating poverty and attaining prosperity is a cherished dream for all. It is also mankind's never ending pursuit of justice, fairness and equality. Fighting poverty is the lofty duty of all countries and the international community as a whole," Wen said. "Let us work hand in hand towards a better world, a world that is free of poverty with prosperity enjoyed by all."