AFRICAN VIEWS ON CHINA'S TARGETED POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION SIDELIGHTS OF THE 24TH WANSHOU FORUM

ZOU GUOYU

From Research Office, International Department,CPC Central Committee

On October 24, 2018, the 24th Wanshou Forum co-hosted by the International Department of CPC Central Committee and Remin University of China was held with the theme Targeted Poverty Alleviation and China-Africa Cooperation. It was in line with President Xi Jinping's pledge at China-Africa Cooperation Forum Beijing Summit that China will do more to help Africa alleviate poverty and pursue development, further releasing political effects of the Beijing Summit and promote China-Africa cooperation.

Among the participants there were African party leaders, political celebrities and think tank scholars from a dozen African countries including South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Namibia, who joined the Chinese participants: leaders of concerned departments and researchers for in-depth discussions. The African participants spoke highly of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and results and experience of China's targeted poverty alleviation since the 18th CPC National Congress.

RESULTS OF CHINA'S POVERTY RIDDANCE THRILL

African participants spoke highly of the important theoretical and practical significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, highly approbating China's gigantic achievements in poverty alleviation and poverty riddance under its guidance.

Mrs. Nomakhosazana Meth, Member of Provincial Executive Committee,African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, observed that he was deeply impressed by the strong leadership of the Chinese Party and Government in poverty relief and poverty riddance,especially Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and what China had achieved in poverty relief and poverty riddance under its guidance.

Mr. Efem Nkam Ubi, Head of the Division of International Economic Relations, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs remarked that he was thrilled by China's achievements in poverty reduction and poverty riddance under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, particularly by people in China ridding poverty at the rate of one person every three second.

Mrs. Hlengiwe Buhle Mkhize, MP,Member of ANC National Executive Committee and ANC Convener of East Cape Province, South Africa believed that as the effects of changes in thinking were more profound and far-reaching than that of changes in material,Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism withChinese Characteristics for a New Era provided a powerful ideological engine driving China's practice in poverty relief and poverty riddance to continue to produce new, great outcomes in recent years.

Qian Hongshan,Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended and addressed at the opening ceremony of the 24th Wanshou Forum in Beijing on October 24th,2018.

Mr. Ronald Mendscole, National Deputy Secretary General of Coalition for the Democratic Change, Liberia remarked that he had been a fan for Xi Jinping: the Governance of China before and this time, he saw with his own eye the great guiding role of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important theses on poverty assistance for China's practice in poverty relief and poverty riddance. In promoting poverty relief and in the process of modernization that advances the people's wellbeing, General Secretary Xi Jinping has displayed strong leadership, under which the CPC and the Chinese Government has set up scientific platform, taken very effective measures and spurred China's cause of poverty relief and poverty riddance to produce great results that attract worldwide attention.

Mr. Rogers Mulindwa, Spokesperson for the National Resistance Movement Organization-NRMO Party, Uganda regarded China's achievements in poverty relief and poverty riddance as a magic created by the country's reform and opening-up in the past forty years especially since the 18th CPC National Congress. The great results of China's cause of poverty relief and poverty riddance rendered opportunities and hopes for Uganda and other African countries.

AFRICAN COUNTRIES WISH TO LEARN CHINA'S BASIC CONCEPTS AND CONCRETE EXPERIENCE ON TARGETED POVERTY ALLEVIATION

It was a general belief of the African representatives that poverty is a global issue and poverty riddance is a common vision of mankind. The poverty issue has for long seriously interfered with development and progress of various countries in Africa, for whom it is imperative to learn from useful experience of China's poverty relief and the country's road of social, economic development.

Mrs. Jeannette Bayisenge, Chairperson of National Women Council, Rwanda remarked that at present in Africa there were 400 million people living in poverty, poverty relief being an urgent priority. In a short period of time, China had enabled so many people to rid poverty by targeted poverty alleviation,its successful experience being worth learning for African countries.

Mrs. Mkhize, MP remarked that as poverty relief improved not only family income but also decency and dignity,an important poverty relief thesis of General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that it was better to teach a person how to fish than simply give him fish, which in practice not only improved the livelihood of those being helped but also reshaped their self-confidence and dignity.It was very important experience worth learning.

Scene of the opening ceremony of the 24th Wanshou Forum in Beijing on October 24th, 2018.

Mr. Mendscole hoped to strengthen dialogue and exchange with China on poverty relief and poverty riddance and to systematically learn China's concepts and concrete measures there so that Africa could soon rid poverty and catch the express train of China's development.

Mr. Muhidin Juma Shangwe, Lecturer, Department of Public Management,University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Mrs. Xolisile Qayiso, Member of ANC Free State Provincial Executive Committee were of the opinion that for African countries to make breakthrough on poverty relief, it was necessary to go in depth in learning China's related methods, particularly the successful experience of the state making unified planning and mobilizing all forces in society to practice poverty relief rather than giving a free hand to market regulation.

Mr. Hesbon Owilla, Editor of the From the Perspective of Africa Journal,Kenya considered China and Africa as having shared similar experiences,believing that in the process of poverty relief, Africa could see its own shadows in China and hoping to introduce the important theses of General Secretary Xi Jinping on poverty assistance and their concrete skills and tactics such as precision identification, targeted alleviation and targeted management to African countries through systemic and extensive exchange to help Africa rid poverty soon.

Mrs. Patricia Norah Zenani Fakude,Member of National Executive Committee of Veteran Alliance, South Africa observed that the CPC had always considered it the priority among priorities of its work to improve people's livelihood and advance people's wellbeing,playing an indispensable leading and guiding role in targeted poverty alleviation as well as in all aspects of China's poverty relief, and that it was imperative for African countries to seriously learn from China's experience and to focus on enhancing the leadership of ruling parties in the cause of poverty relief in their countries.

Mrs. Ottilie Mushinga Shinduvi,Coordinator of SWAPO-Party in East Kavango Province, Namibia remarked that from putting forward the concept of targeted poverty alleviation to its practice producing great results all over China, the CPC had played an essential role of leading, coordinating and pushing, and that the most successful experience worth learning in China's concept and practice of targeted poverty alleviation was how to bring into play a more effective role of political party and how to promote coordinated interaction between party and government in concerted efforts for planning and pushing forward poverty relief work.

Mr. Danny Musukuma, Director of News Department at the Headquarters of Zimbabwe African National Union(ZANU), observed that China's targeted poverty alleviation had set an example for the whole world and that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era had played an important leading and driving role in the process of implementing targeted poverty alleviation, which was an important reason behind the great achievements of China in poverty relief work in recent years, being an important, pressing content for African countries to learn.

“AFRICAN EDITION” OF TARGETED POVERTY ALLEVIATION THROUGH CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION

African representatives spoke about long standing China-Africa friendship with affinity in sincere gratitude to China for its selfless support and help to African countries over the long years and looked forward to using China-Africa exchange and cooperation in poverty relief area to go in-depth in exploring a road to targeted poverty alleviation suitable to concrete African conditions to in light of special features of various countries.

Mr. Amosi Mailosi, MP of Malawi believed that as poverty relief and poverty riddance was a system engineering project calling for synergy in various levels of political parties, government,society and companies on top of financial support, African countries should strengthen cooperation with China comprehensively and avail themselves of China-Africa cooperation to actively explore a road to poverty relief suitable to their conditions.

Mrs. Mkhize observed that China's fruitful performance in poverty-relief in recent years proved that targeted poverty alleviation was an effective way in helping poverty stricken areas rid poverty. She wished to continue in-depth exchange with the Chinese side on theory and practice of targeted poverty alleviation.

Mrs. Patricia Were, Free-lance writer from Kenya and Mr. Henry Mushonga,Director of Headquarters Office of ZANU were of the opinion that China-Africa cooperation on poverty relief should also be targeted, especially pre-planning according to concrete demand, deciding on sequence of priorities and using fund from Chinese assistance well, practically and effectively in light of local conditions.

Mr. Mulindwa remarked that in-depth advancement of the African cause of poverty relief could not do without close cooperation with China, that African countries needed China's experience and help and at the same time needed to consider seriously in what areas China's help was necessary and how to make it “to the point” in order to ensure more targeted interface of China-Africa cooperation on poverty relief for greater effectiveness and better performance.

Mrs. Dorris Dlakude, Member of ANC Mpumalanga Provincial Executive Committee observed that China's theory and practice on targeted poverty alleviation raised their awareness and understanding on poverty relief in an all-round way and provided them with useful reference points to further improve and make perfect relevant work.She wished to use relevant platforms in China-Africa cooperation to strengthen dialogue and exchange with China on theory and practice of targeted poverty alleviation and with China's help, to go in-depth in exploring a way of poverty relief suitable to local conditions for full blown growth of South Africa's cause of poverty relief.

Mr. Akabondo Kabechani, Deputy Director of Policy Monitoring and Research Center, Zambia remarked that looking at historical experience of African countries, some of the methods of Western countries were not reliable. In order to rid poverty, it was necessary for Africa to rely on South-South cooperation, especially to move hand in hand with China, the engine pulling the train of Southern countries and to closely cooperate with the country. As Africa was a plural continent of 54 different countries, China stressing on important principles of seeking truth from the fact and making concrete analysis of concrete matters in its practice of targeted poverty alleviation coincided with the plural demand in poverty relief practice in the African continent. He believed that through exchange and cooperation with China, Africa would soon find its own way of targeted poverty alleviation most suitable to local conditions.

Scene of the breakout session I of the 24th Wanshou Forum.