Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits local residents and learns about issues including primary-level Party building and public service at Jinyuan community in Guanshanhu District of Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited southwest China's Guizhou Province, home to the last nine counties removed from the country's poverty list.
By choosing Guizhou, Xi wanted to see in person the living conditions of those who had shaken off poverty.
As China has attained poverty relief achievements, its experience and vision on ending absolute poverty and promoting development can provide insights for the entire international community.
The following are some of his remarks on poverty reduction and sustainable development in the international arena.
Speaking at the 12th BRICS Summit in November 2020 that also gathered leaders from Russia, India, South Africa and Brazil, Xi said: "We need to call on the international community to place the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the heart of international development cooperation."
A farmer displays newly-harvested pumpkins in Xujiaba Township, Sinan County of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)
Poverty eradication must be made a primary goal, and more resources must be channeled to poverty reduction, education, health and infrastructure development, he noted.
"We need to support the UN's coordinating role and foster global development partnerships that are more equal and balanced, so that the fruits of development will spread to more developing countries and the needs of underprivileged groups will be better addressed," he said.
Addressing the 27th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November 2020, Xi said the digital economy represents the future direction of global development, while innovation has fueled the economic takeoff in the Asia-Pacific.
"We need to proactively seize the opportunities of our times and fully harness our region's abundant human resources, solid technological foundation, and enormous market potential to gain a new competitive edge and open up new possibilities for the betterment of our people's lives," he said.
Students attend class at a school covering primary and secondary education at Yandongjiao Village of Zhenxiong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 11, 2020. (Photo by Wang Guansen/Xinhua)
Xi pledged in the meeting that "China will host a workshop on digital technology-enabled poverty alleviation, in a bid to unleash the role of digital technologies in eradicating poverty in our region."
In his special address at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda in January, Xi said as a steadfast member of developing countries, China will further deepen South-South cooperation, and contribute to the endeavor of developing countries to eradicate poverty, ease debt burden, and achieve more growth.
China will get more actively engaged in global economic governance and push for an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all, he added.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2020 shows a view of a poverty-relief resettlement site in Dongmiao Town of Du'an Yao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)
Speaking at the 20th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in November 2020, Xi said that true development is development for all and good development is sustainable.
"We need to be guided by the vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development and open up more opportunities for practical cooperation to facilitate economic recovery and betterment of people's lives," he added.
"China supports setting up an SCO joint working group on poverty reduction and stands ready to share our good experience with other parties," he said. ■
