China major contributor to global poverty alleviation, peace

by Joseph Matthews

China's impact on global poverty alleviation, peace, stability, and sustainable development has resonated worldwide, shaping the future of international cooperation.

Over the past 40 years, China has lifted nearly 800 million of its people out of poverty, accounting for more than 75 percent of global poverty reduction in the same period.

While committed to eradicating poverty at home, China has not worked in isolation. It has collaborated with other countries to reduce poverty worldwide, fostering a global community with a shared future for mankind.

China's basic and crucial economic policy is simple: "China will prosper only when the world prospers, and vice versa." The country has always closely linked its future with that of the rest of the world.

China has launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to expand deep, high-level regional cooperation on economic and social development and help countries alleviate poverty.

According to a World Bank study, the BRI-related investments will help 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty.

The country has provided assistance in various forms to over 160 countries and regions as well as international organizations, reduced or exempted the debts of eligible countries, and helped developing countries in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

In Asia, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have jointly launched a rural poverty alleviation plan and carried out the East Asia Poverty Reduction Cooperation Pilot Project in rural communities of Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

In Africa, China has helped countries build water conservation infrastructure, vocational and technical schools, government-subsidized housing, and other facilities. Together with its African partners, China has set up demonstration zones for agricultural cooperation and collaborated on projects involving Chinese technology, such as using grass to grow mushrooms. Other joint projects involve the construction of hospitals and the headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the South Pacific region, China has promoted measures such as granting aid and concessional loans to Pacific Island countries and carried out technical assistance projects in infrastructure construction, agriculture, and medical care.

In Latin America, China has built agricultural technology demonstration centers to help local people in recipient countries overcome poverty.

For Cambodia, the contributions from the government and people of China to Cambodia's development and poverty alleviation have been tremendous. The Cambodia-China Friendship Village for Poverty Alleviation Project in the far-flung Tanorn village in southern Takeo province is a good example.

Besides significant contributions to global poverty alleviation and development, China has played a leading role in promoting peace, security and stability in the Middle East and actively solving international conflicts.

Last year, China brought reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia after years of conflict and tension. Today, both countries have restored diplomatic relations.

China does not have any hidden agenda.

The BRI, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative -- all put forward by China -- have significantly advanced global peace, security, stability, governance, sustainable development, and common prosperity, injecting strong momentum into the establishment of a community with a shared future for all humanity.

Editor's note: Joseph Matthews is a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.