Report on China’s Poverty Alleviation Strategies and Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Global Imperative to Eradicate Poverty

Addressing global poverty remains one of the most significant challenges facing humanity. In alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), the international community has committed to eradicating this issue. Current statistics indicate a pressing need for action:

• 733 million people experienced hunger in the past year.
• 1.1 billion people subsist on less than $2.15 per day.

As the world’s largest developing nation, the People’s Republic of China has made substantial contributions toward these global goals, offering a case study in large-scale poverty reduction.

China’s Contribution to Global Poverty Alleviation

Over a period of forty years, China has successfully lifted over 800 million people out of poverty. This achievement represents more than 70% of the total global poverty reduction during that timeframe, marking a significant advancement in the pursuit of SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) on a global scale.

Core Strategies for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

China’s approach to poverty reduction is multifaceted, incorporating several key strategies that align with various SDGs.

Fostering Inclusive Economic Growth (SDG 8 & SDG 9)

A primary strategy has been to integrate poverty alleviation within a broader framework of economic development, focusing on creating self-sustaining growth. This approach supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

1. Infrastructure Development: Essential infrastructure, including roads, 5G networks, and e-commerce platforms, was extended to remote regions to connect them to the national economy.
2. Skills and Capacity Building: Local populations were provided with vocational training tailored to regional economic activities. Examples include veterinary science for herders in Gansu province and bamboo-weaving combined with e-commerce training in Guangxi province.
3. Market Access: The strategy emphasizes not only skill development but also ensuring access to markets where newly produced goods and services can be sold.

Implementing Targeted, Localized Policies (SDG 1 & SDG 10)

A targeted poverty reduction strategy was implemented, ensuring that policies were customized to local conditions and household needs, directly contributing to SDG 1 and SDG 10.

• Household Registration: Every impoverished household was officially registered to facilitate precise and tailored support.
• Customized Interventions: Rather than applying uniform subsidies, solutions were designed based on local geography and resources. For instance, mountainous areas were supported in developing terrace farming and eco-tourism, while arid regions received assistance with water conservation and drought-resistant crops.
• Local Brand Development: Many communities successfully established distinctive local brands for products such as honey, tea, and traditional embroidery, fostering local economies and preserving cultural heritage, which aligns with principles of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

A Whole-of-Nation Approach through Partnerships (SDG 17)

The poverty reduction campaign was executed as a concerted national effort, mobilizing all sectors of society in a model of multi-stakeholder collaboration, which exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Paired Assistance Program: A cross-regional cooperation program paired more developed eastern provinces with less developed western regions to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, technology, and capital. The transformation of Minning Town in Ningxia, with support from Fujian province, serves as a key example of this program’s success.
• Public Sector Mobilization: Over three million civil servants and technical experts were dispatched to impoverished areas to provide direct support and training.
• Multi-Sectoral Contributions: Private companies, universities, and individuals participated actively. Tech corporations helped establish digital marketplaces, state-owned enterprises offered logistical support, and public figures promoted local products.

Global Significance and International Cooperation

China’s success provides a valuable reference for other developing nations in the Global South. Leaders from countries such as Peru and Thailand have expressed interest in learning from these experiences. Furthermore, China actively engages in international cooperation to support global poverty reduction efforts, in line with SDG 17.

• Knowledge and Technology Transfer: Through initiatives like the Belt & Road and Luban Workshops, approximately 400,000 individuals from 180 countries have received training in fields such as hybrid rice cultivation, Juncao mushroom farming, and e-commerce.
• The Global Development Initiative (GDI): This initiative has supported 1,100 projects with nearly $20 billion in funding, with over 80 countries joining the Group of Friends of the GDI to build a global consensus on development and poverty reduction.

The Chinese experience demonstrates that the eradication of poverty, as outlined in SDG 1, is an attainable objective through comprehensive, targeted, and collaborative national strategies.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 1: No Poverty

The article’s primary focus is on poverty eradication. It begins by stating that poverty is the “most pressing challenge for humanity” and cites global statistics like “1.1 billion survived on less than $2.15 a day.” The central narrative revolves around China’s success in lifting “over 800 million people out of poverty,” directly addressing the goal of ending poverty in all its forms.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The article connects poverty directly to hunger, noting that “733 million people went to bed hungry.” Furthermore, many of the poverty alleviation strategies discussed are agriculture-based, such as supporting “terrace farming,” assisting with “drought-resistant crops,” and training farmers in “hybrid rice” and “Juncao mushroom farming,” which are all relevant to ending hunger and achieving food security.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The core of China’s strategy, as described in the article, is to “advance poverty alleviation through the broader process of economic development.” This involves creating self-generated growth by teaching skills (veterinary science, bamboo-weaving), creating jobs through eco-tourism, and developing local industries, all of which contribute to sustained, inclusive economic growth and productive employment.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The article highlights the critical role of infrastructure and technology in poverty reduction. It explicitly mentions that “Roads, 5G and e-commerce were pushed into the remotest counties.” This focus on building infrastructure and leveraging technology like “e-commerce cooperatives” and “digital marketplaces” aligns with the goal of building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The article addresses inequality both within and between countries. The “paired assistance” program, where “more developed eastern provinces were paired up with less developed western regions,” is a direct policy to reduce regional inequality within China. On a global scale, the article suggests China’s experience can help other Global South countries “reduce wealth gaps,” thus addressing inequality between nations.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The theme of partnership is central to the article. It describes a “whole-of-nation effort” involving the government, “private companies, universities, and even individuals.” It also details global partnerships, such as China’s cooperation with over 80 countries through the “Global Development Initiative” and knowledge sharing via “Belt & Road and Luban Workshops,” exemplifying multi-stakeholder and global cooperation for sustainable development.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 1: No Poverty

1. Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere. The article directly references this target by citing the statistic that “1.1 billion survived on less than $2.15 a day,” which is the international benchmark for extreme poverty.
2. Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The article’s main evidence, that China “has successfully lifted over 800 million people out of poverty,” refers to poverty reduction based on its own national standards.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

1. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. The article highlights the urgency of this target by stating that “733 million people went to bed hungry.”
2. Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers. The strategies mentioned, such as teaching herders “veterinary science to keep their cattle healthy” and enabling villagers to “sell their baskets online” through e-commerce, are aimed at increasing the productivity and income of local producers.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation. The article provides examples of this, such as developing “distinctive brands around local specialties like honey, tea, and traditional embroidery” and using “e-commerce networks that now reach customers across the country.”
2. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. The entire approach of teaching skills and creating markets, summarized as “teach a man to fish—and give him a market to sell it,” directly supports this target.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being. The article explicitly states that “Roads, 5G and e-commerce were pushed into the remotest counties” as a key part of the poverty alleviation strategy.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation. The article describes China’s active engagement in “global poverty reduction cooperation,” sharing knowledge on “hybrid rice, Juncao mushroom farming and e-commerce” with other developing countries, which is a clear example of South-South cooperation.
2. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships. The “whole-of-nation effort” involving government, private sector, and civil society is a model of a multi-stakeholder partnership. Globally, the “Group of Friends of the Initiative” with “more than 80 countries” represents a global partnership.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Indicator 1.1.1 (Proportion of population below the international poverty line): The article explicitly mentions this indicator by stating that “1.1 billion survived on less than $2.15 a day.”
• Indicator 1.2.1 (Proportion of population living below the national poverty line): The key statistic that China “lifted over 800 million people out of poverty” is a direct measure related to this indicator, as it is based on a national definition.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Indicator 2.1.2 (Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population): The article provides a direct measure related to this indicator by stating, “Last year 733 million people went to bed hungry.”

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Implied Indicators for Development Cooperation: The article provides several quantifiable metrics that can serve as indicators of partnership effectiveness. These include the number of people trained (“400,000 trainees”), the number of development projects implemented (“1,100 projects”), the amount of financial resources committed (“nearly $20 billion”), and the number of countries engaged in a partnership (“More than 80 countries”).

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: euractiv.com