WIN THE FINAL BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY

WIN THE FINAL BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY*

December 2017-December 2020

I

Decisive progress has been made in the fight against poverty in the past few years. All parties have taken action, and a large-scale framework in which all sectors of society join in poverty alleviation is in place. All the same, we should be aware that our tasks will be more difficult as we approach the later stages of poverty alleviation. If we can achieve poverty elimination by current standards, we can solve the problem of absolute poverty in the traditional sense. This is also a high standard internationally, by which we will fulfill our solemn promise that poor people and poor areas achieve the same level of moderate prosperity as other parts of the country. All localities must hit the poverty elimination targets set by the Party Central Committee, neither lowering the standard nor setting expectations too high.

(from the speech at the Central Conference on Economic
Work, December 18, 2017) 

II

We must win the tough battle against poverty, as our Party has made a solemn promise to the people. We must be true to our promise. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, poverty eradication is the only issue on which Party and government heads at the provincial level have signed written pledges. All Party and government officials, especially top leaders at every level, must increase their political awareness and sense of responsibility, and lead efforts to fulfill this mission.

Here I would like to emphasize that Party committees and governments of impoverished counties assume the main responsibility in poverty elimination, and their top leaders are the first persons responsible. During the final stage of the fight against poverty, officials should remain steadfast in their posts and focus on this task. Those incapable of the task should be replaced, and those involved in fraud and falsification must be held accountable. The central departments concerned should research and formulate an action plan on poverty elimination, and set a timetable and road map for ending absolute poverty in three years.

(from the speech at a meeting on targeted poverty elimination
held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, February 12, 2018)

III

We will continue the working mechanism whereby the central leadership makes overall plans, provincial authorities take overall responsibility, and city and county authorities take charge of implementation. The central leadership produces the top-level design in two respects: establishing policies and providing funds for local poverty eradication on the one hand, and tightening oversight over the evaluation of results on the other. Provincial authorities make action plans in accordance with central policies, and guide and supervise implementation. City and county authorities take specific measures based on local conditions to ensure that all poverty alleviation policies and plans will deliver. 

We will improve the mechanism for evaluating poverty alleviation results as our work progresses, so that provincial authorities take the lead not only in setting requirements and taking on responsibilities, but also in performance evaluation. Third-party evaluation will be improved to narrow down the scope and simplify procedures, with the focus on assessing whether the Two Assurances and Three Guarantees — assurances of adequate food and clothing, and guarantees of access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing — have been fully delivered. The provincial authorities should evaluate and review whether a county has emerged from poverty. Supervision and inspection teams sent by central authorities conduct spot checks to ensure the authenticity of evaluation results. The process of summoning provincial-level officials for inquiries into problems in their poverty alleviation work will be improved. We plan to hold another round this year, and will make this a regular practice and talk to officials whenever problems arise.

(from the speech at a meeting on targeted poverty elimination
held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, February 12, 2018)

IV

To win the fight against poverty, the key lies in targeted measures. To support macro decision-making and guidance, we should improve the system for registering the poor, with a focus on strengthening data sharing and analysis. We should advance targeted policy implementation. We should take into consideration local conditions, and apply different measures for different villages, households, and individuals. Solid work should be done to help the poor population by developing businesses, relocating them from inhospitable areas, creating more job opportunities, renovating dilapidated houses, improving education and health care, and developing the eco-economy. 

Here I would like to emphasize poverty alleviation through business development and relocation. 

Developing business activities is the main solution to increasing income and eliminating poverty in the long run. Now that food and clothing are secured for the poor, we should plan for the future and aim for sustainable development of agriculture, and we must not be shortsighted in pursuit of quick successes and instant benefits.

The state has invested very heavily in relocation projects for the poor. At present, we must avoid the kind of indiscriminate relocation of whole villages that wastes resources on households who do not need to move, which should have been directed towards those who do. In the next three years all registered poor in need of relocation will be relocated first, and other residents in the same villages who are eligible for relocation will also be catered for. We must deliver the Two Assurances and Three Guarantees for the poor people who cannot be relocated for the time being. Future poverty alleviation can be combined with the rural revitalization strategy to relocate the poor step by step, for the purpose of protecting the eco-environment and making steady progress in poverty elimination and towards prosperity.

(from the speech at a meeting on targeted poverty elimination
held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, February 12, 2018)

V

The last leg of a journey marks only the halfway point. At this most critical stage, we must retain our faith in final victory and our determination to succeed. As long as all localities and departments shoulder their responsibilities and do solid work, as long as officials and others in poverty-stricken areas continue to apply earnest, vigorous, and practical efforts, as long as all Party members and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country unite as one and commit ourselves to the same goal, we will certainly succeed in eliminating poverty as scheduled. 

(directive on poverty elimination, October 13, 2018)

VI

I have emphasized repeatedly that we should maintain the current poverty eradication standard, neither raising nor lowering it. Guaranteeing access to compulsory education means ensuring that children from poor families do not drop out of school during the compulsory education period. Guaranteeing access to medical care means covering all impoverished people with medical insurance which will make treatment of common and chronic diseases accessible and affordable for them, and allow them to maintain their normal life should they suffer from a serious illness. Guaranteeing access to safe housing means moving impoverished people out of dilapidated houses. Ensuring drinking water safety means giving all rural people access to safe drinking water through a coordinated approach. This is a basic national requirement, but the situation varies from place to place. For example, in terms of housing safety, attention should be given to ventilation in south China, while keeping warm is essential in north China; in terms of drinking water safety, northwest China should focus on accessibility of water while southwest China needs to solve the problems of water supply, storage and quality. All regions should be flexible and take their own realities into consideration rather than imposing uniform policies. Various measures have been explored in solving pressing problems concerning the Three Guarantees, but some regions have raised the standard either consciously or unconsciously. The regions that have raised the threshold far beyond the national standard should scale it down, and those that have kept the bar by and large unchanged should continue to maintain the stability and consistency of policies.

(from the speech at a meeting on pressing problems related to
the Two Assurances and Three Guarantees held in Chongqing,
April 16, 2019)

VII

Poverty elimination has now entered the concluding stage that is essential to complete victory. Targeting the final goals, all localities and departments must be resolute in addressing extreme poverty and resolving weak points in poor residents’ access to compulsory education, basic medical services, safe housing, and drinking water. All impoverished people in rural areas must be guaranteed a route out of poverty, and join the rest of the country in entering a moderately prosperous society. Effective measures should be introduced to consolidate and expand the results of the fight against poverty. We must make sure to realize high-quality poverty elimination.

(directive on poverty elimination, October 16, 2019)

VIII

Relieving all rural residents living below the current poverty line by 2020 is a solemn promise made by the Party Central Committee to the people all over the country, and it must be realized as scheduled with no alternatives or exceptions. This is a tough battle, and we must never stop, be negligent, or slacken our efforts on the road to the final victory. Leaders at all levels in provinces and equivalent administrative units have signed letters of pledge, which must also be honored. Time is passing. All officials, high or low in rank, must put this work at the top of your agendas. 

Central budget should continue to increase poverty alleviation funds, and local budgets at various levels should also guarantee funds for the needs of poverty elimination. The efforts to integrate government funds for rural development and strengthen oversight should be intensified to increase the efficiency and effects of utilization of such funds. Land and financial policies designed for poverty alleviation should be used effectively. Poverty alleviation funds for the areas where poverty elimination has made steady progress can be directed flexibly to support poor residents in non-impoverished counties and villages. 

Collaboration between the eastern and western regions in poverty alleviation should be strengthened, and central departments need to expand their assistance to designated areas. The most pressing task at present is to mitigate the influence of the epidemic on poverty elimination in central and western regions through employment and consumption-based poverty alleviation programs. In the long run, east-west collaboration for poverty alleviation should be based on the state’s overall plan for regional development. We should reinforce regional cooperation and encourage tiered industrial transfer from the east to the west, so that each can complement the other in industries, human resources, technologies, ideas, and approaches, and achieve common development.

Officials and their conduct determine if high quality poverty elimination can be completed. To achieve this goal, we must improve Party conduct, guard against form over substance and bureaucratism, and lessen the burden on grassroots units and officials. We should support the work of grassroots officials engaged in poverty elimination and guarantee their lives and security, so that they can devote themselves to epidemic control and poverty elimination free of other concerns. Proper training should be provided to them, including all newly-appointed officials to be stationed in villages and local incoming village and township officials, to increase their skills in targeted poverty alleviation and elimination. 

(from the speech at a meeting on winning the final battle
against poverty, March 6, 2020)

IX

Our current mission is to promote comprehensive rural revitalization, symbolizing the historic shift of our priorities with regard to agriculture, rural areas, and rural people. However, we must be aware that quite a number of rural families, though above the poverty line, can only earn a limited income and satisfy basic living needs, and poverty elimination is built on unstable foundations. Some families still live on the brink of poverty and will return to penury should they suffer any misfortune. Although industries and businesses have grown up in most areas deregistered from poverty, they still lack proper technology, capital, talent, and market support, and may struggle in some areas as soon as assisting officials leave. 

Next, the deregistered areas should take on another tough task — preventing people from falling back to poverty. They should effectively combine their efforts to consolidate and expand poverty eradication results with rural revitalization, leaving no gaps in their actions and no areas uncovered in policy. Large-scale relapse into poverty must not be allowed once we announce all-round elimination of poverty.

(from the speech at the Central Conference on Rural Work,
December 28, 2020)

X

The Party Central Committee has decided to allow a five-year period of grace to counties once they have emerged from poverty. During this period of time they will continue to enjoy the main support policies, which will be adjusted and optimized by category. We need to get the pace, intensity and schedule right. Then the resources leveraged for intensive poverty elimination will gradually be redirected towards an extensive drive for rural revitalization. Competent departments should review their policies in various fields and issue operating documents and work plans. The system of stationing first Party secretaries and work teams in key villages should be continued and improved, and mechanisms for east-west coordination, paired-up assistance, and social assistance should be maintained and developed promptly in line with changing circumstances and tasks. We should adjust and optimize the functions of poverty elimination agencies at all levels in a stable and orderly manner, ensuring that the people feel secure, that actions are consistent, and that the staff involved remain united and enthusiastic. To ensure that all fulfill their responsibilities – Party and government leadership teams in cities and counties as well as leading officials – their performance in consolidating and expanding poverty elimination results will be assessed as part of their work in implementing the rural revitalization strategy. 

(from the speech at the Central Conference on Rural Work,
December 28, 2020)

* Excerpts from speeches made between December 2017 and December 2020.

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