Poverty reduction forum highlights success in Hunan

The Shibadong village of Hunan province has become a shining example of China's great success in poverty alleviation, Mao Weiming, governor of Hunan province said on Friday.

He made the remarks at the Shibadong Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development which began on Thursday and goes until Saturday in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture.

The forum marks the 10th anniversary of the targeted poverty alleviation concept put forward by China's top leader during an inspection tour to the village ten years ago.

Mao said the province has made great efforts in poverty alleviation, with all 6.82 million once-impoverished people in 51 counties lifted out of absolute poverty by 2020.

The average annual disposable income of the once-impoverished people increased from 6,461 yuan ($883) to 14,714 yuan from 2014 to 2022, he said.

Guo Weimin, head of the China Public Relations Association, said ten years ago, about 57 percent of villagers in Shibadong were in absolute poverty, and the annual income was only 1,668 yuan per person.

In the past decade, under the support of central and local authorities and through hard work of the local people, the village has transformed from a secluded village in poverty into a modern one with convenient transportation, prosperous industrial development and a good environment, he said.

The transformation has shown that the original inspiration of the Communist Party of China is to seek happiness for Chinese people, he said.

It can also serve as an example for world poverty alleviation, so more efforts should be made to introduce its experience to the world through enhanced dialogue and communication and international cooperation, he added.

Lee Hee-sup, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, said China has implemented extensive poverty alleviation programs, achieving remarkable results through initiatives like "targeted poverty alleviation" and the "one village, one strategy" approach.

He looks forward to the three countries of China, Japan, and Korea, sharing and learning the experiences in rural revitalization to advance poverty reduction and sustainable development in East Asia, he said.