K’ONYANGO: China reduces poverty in model of human-centred progress

A rice expert guides a local rice farmer on how to transplant seedlings in the rice fields in Huye District, Rwanda, August 14, 2024. /Xinhua

In February 2021, China made a historic declaration: it had achieved the daunting task of eliminating absolute poverty under its current standards. Nearly 99 million rural residents who once lived below the poverty line had been lifted into better living conditions and regional poverty, long a developmental obstacle, was largely resolved.

This achievement was not the end, but rather the beginning of a new chapter. Recognising that poverty eradication must be followed by sustainable policies, China introduced a five-year transitional period to consolidate progress, safeguard against relapse and advance rural revitalisation.

As 2025 concludes this transitional phase, China’s accomplishments in poverty reduction and rural renewal deserve careful reflection — not only as a domestic triumph, but also as a valuable lesson for the world.