KeywordstoUnderstandPovertyReductioninChina:TargetedPovertyAlleviation_GuangmingOnlineSincethe18thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC),theChinesegovernmenthasplacedtheeradicationofabsolutepovertyinaprominentpositioninChina’sgovernanceandlaunchedanall-outbattleagainstpoverty.Againstthebackdropofseverepoverty,GeneralSecretaryXiJinpingproposedtheconceptof“targetedpovertyalleviation”,andcalledonthenationtopulltogetherwithgreaterdetermination,sharperthinking,moretargetedmeasuresandextraordinaryefforts,soastoachievepovertyalleviationtargets,andensurethatpoverty-strickenpeopleliftedoutofpovertyasscheduledby2020.InNovember2013,onhisinspectiontourtoShibadongVillageinwesternHunanProvince,Xiproposedtheconceptof“givingdifferentiatedguidancefortargetedpovertyalleviationinlinewithlocalconditionsbyseekingtruthfromfacts”,whichcontributedanimportantideatothestrategyoftargetedpovertyalleviation.“Targetedpovertyalleviation”isintendedtochangethepracticesofgeneralandextensivepovertyalleviation.Itisamodeofpovertyalleviationwhich,bytargetingatdifferentimpoverishedareasanddifferentpoverty-strickenfarmers,adoptscientificandeffectiveproceduresforthepreciseidentification,assistanceandmanagementofimpoverishedtargets.Wewillhelpeveryimpoverishedcountyandeverypoverty-strickenhouseholdoutofpoverty.Wedonotspraypreferentialpoliciesindiscriminatelyor“killfleaswithahand-grenade”.Instead,weadopttargetedmeasuresfordifferentvillages,householdsandindividualsaccordingtotheirspecificconditions,sothatwecanaddresstherootcausesofpoverty.AsthebasicrequirementsforChina’simplementationofthestrategyoftargetedpovertyalleviation,thesixelementsoftargetedpovertyalleviationaretoprecisesupportobjects,preciseprojectarrangements,preciseuseoffunds,precisemeasurestohouseholds,precisevillage-basedpersonnel(thefirstsecretary),andprecisepovertyalleviationresults.Onlywithaccurateinformationaboutthetruepoorpopulationscantargetedassistancereachthehouseholdsinneed;Onlywithclearresponsibilitiesdefinedforgovernmentsandofficialscanprioritybegiventoprojectsandfundsforpovertyreliefpurposes;Andonlywithtargetedpoliciesbeingtailoredforpoorareasandpoorpopulationscaneffectivepovertyalleviationbeattainedfordifferentlocalconditions.“FiveMeasuresforPovertyAlleviation”isthemainapproachforChinatoimplementthestrategyoftargetedpovertyalleviation.(1)Boostingtheeconomytocreatemorejobsforthedisadvantaged.Allthosewiththeabilitytoworkshouldbeguidedandencouragedtoworkforabetterfuturewiththeirownhandsandrelyonlocalresourcestoendpoverty.(2)Relocatingthoselivingunderadversenaturalconditions.Thosewhocannotescapepovertylocallycanberelocatedinaplannedandorganizedway.Effortsareneededtoensuresmoothrelocationsandsettlement,andensurethoseinvolvedhavethemeanstobetterthemselves.(3)Providingeco-jobsforthepoor.Chinahasstrengthenedeco-environmentalrestorationandprotectioninimpoverishedareas,increasedtransferpaymentsinimportantecologicalareas,expandedthescopeofthoseeligibleforpreferentialpolicies,andgrantedpoorpeoplewiththeabilitytoworktheopportunitytoserveasforestrangersordoothereco-work;(4)Improvingeducationinpoorareas.Thebestwaytohelpthepooristoraisetheireducationallevel.Nationaleducationfundswillcontinuetobeweightedtowardpoverty-strickenareas,forbasiceducationandvocationaleducation.Theeducationservicesinimpoverishedareaswillbeimproved,anddueattentionbegiventoyoungchildrenfromimpoverishedruralhouseholds,especially“left-behind”childrenwhostayinruralareaswhiletheirparentsareawayworkingasmigrantworkers.(5)Improvingsocialsecurityforpovertyalleviation.Amongthepoverty-strickenpopulation,thosewhohavecompletelyorpartiallylosttheabilitytoworkwillbeguaranteedsocialsecurity.Thestandardofruralpovertyalleviationallowanceandthatofruralsubsistenceallowancewillbereadjusted,andotherformsofsocialaidbeprovided.Medicalinsuranceandmedicalaidwillbeincreasedforpovertyrelief,andtheruralpoorwillbecoveredbythenewruralcooperativemedicalinsuranceandtheseriousillnessinsurance.Morepovertyreliefeffortswillbemadetosupporttheoldrevolutionarybaseareas.Guidedbyacreativephilosophyandprecisepolicies,Chinahasmadeoutstandingprogressinpovertyelimination.Thishasexertedapositiveandfar-reachinginfluenceonChina’seconomicandsocialdevelopmentthatfullydemonstratesthepracticalvalueofthestrategy.Targetedpovertyalleviationhastackledmanytoughproblemsinpoverty,andincreasedtheimpactofdevelopment-orientedpovertyalleviation.Itinspireslocalmanagementofruralcommunitiesandpromotesregionaleconomicandsocialdevelopmentasawhole.Italsohaspositiveimpactsonactivatingruralsocialgovernanceatthegrassrootslevelandimprovingjusticeintheallocationsofpoverty-alleviationresources.ThebattleagainstpovertyhighlightsthenewdevelopmentofpovertyreductionwithChinesecharacteristics.ThecreativephilosophyanduniqueapproachesofthestrategyarekeytoChina’sbattleagainstpovertyanditspovertygovernancesystem.Asascientifictheoreticalinnovation,italsooffersinvaluableexperiencetointernationalpovertyreductionendeavors.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.