Malta: China's efforts in poverty reduction are a bright example for the world

What impact will the COVID-19 pandemic bring to China's goal of eradicating extreme poverty by the end of 2020? How does the international community view China's efforts in poverty reduction? What other challenges will China face in poverty reduction after eliminating absolute poverty in 2020?

John Aquilina, Malta's ambassador to China, recently gave a interview with China.org.cn about China's poverty relief efforts under the COVID-19 epidemic. He said,it’s amazing that despite the impact of COVID-19 on China’s economy, President Xi Jinping and the leadership of China are still determined to alleviate absolute poverty by the year 2020. That is a noble goal which indicates that China is putting people first, and this is something that the rest of the world can look up to.

John Aquilina, Malta's ambassador to China

China.org.cn: China is expected to eliminate absolute poverty this year. What is your comment on China's efforts in poverty reduction?

John Aquilina: I think it’s a tremendous achievement. China’s efforts in poverty reduction are a bright example for the rest of the world. China is the most populated country in the world. So obviously, the number of people below the poverty line are astronomical. And yet, China set out with this resolve in 2013, and now has achieved outstanding results.

I was reading an article in China Daily. I saw a photograph of villagers in Shibadong in Huayuan county. This village was among the places where President Xi Jinping visited in 2013. This is where he came up with the idea of [targeted] poverty alleviation, and since then, China has worked purposefully towards that for the past 7 years. Undoubtedly it is pushing to eliminate poverty in this country.

China.org.cn: In your opinion, what impact will the COVID-19 pandemic bring to China's goal of eradicating extreme poverty by the end of 2020? What are your suggestions?

John Aquilina: Well, of course, COVIE-19 has had a tremendous additional dimension to all of this. Not only here in China, but throughout the world. It has caused a major impact on world economy, as well as national economies. China is no exception.

It’s amazing that even despite the economic impact of COVID-19 on China’s economy, President Xi Jinping and the leadership of this country are still determined to alleviate poverty by the year 2020. That is a noble goal. That indicates that this country is putting people first. And of course, it would be very much something to which rest of the world can look up to.

Poverty alleviation is a great asset. Without poverty, people can look forward to brighter futures, look forward to better education, look forward to better health, and look forward to better employment opportunities. These are the things that the elimination of poverty brings about. So, congratulations to China, and congratulations to the poverty elimination campaign here in this country.

China.org.cn: What other challenges will China face in poverty reduction after eliminating absolute poverty in 2020?

John Aquilina: Well, of course. When one eliminates poverty, the job does not stop there, because the task of eliminating poverty is ongoing. There always be challenges; there always be issues that come up. Employment issues for example, the poor people always suffer the most in downturns in economy; it’s always the poor people who get hurt first. To maintain the elimination of poverty, one has to be constant; one has to be consistent; one has to be always on guard to ensure that the people who mean the most, the people who are the engine of any country—the workers are not the ones who suffer whenever there is an economic downturn.

China.org.cn: What are your suggestions on furthering international cooperation in poverty reduction?

John Aquilina: The reduction of poverty is not just one nation’s goal. It should be the world’s goal. Every nation should have it as part of its agenda, the elimination of poverty in their nation. There are so many countries with large numbers of poor people. We need global cooperation. We need international cooperation to ensure that the benefits of one country don’t just remain in their country, but are able to be shared by the rest of the world.

I think it’s wonderful that China in eliminating poverty here in this country is also looking at how can help other countries around it. And we would be looking forward in the future to ensure that this global cooperation not only continues but indeed grows through international organizations such as the United Nations, the Red Cross, WHO, so that poverty elimination is a worldwide thing, not just something restricted to a few countries.