Reducing poverty, raising growth in Africa

About three decades ago China's fight against poverty was as daunting as that faced by Malawi. Thirty years on China has not only lifted about 700 million people out of poverty but also has become the world's second-largest economy while a large number of Malawians still live in poverty and the overall economic growth of most African countries still lags behind that of other regions.

China can translate its success in poverty alleviation into useful lessons for African countries. In fact, it has been doing so over the past years by sharing technical expertise and experience, such as how the country has managed to shift its focus from charity and regional development to more targeted poverty alleviation programs. The missing piece of the puzzle may be how to get rid of "ideological poverty", or parochial, outdated thinking, as President Xi Jinping has said in one of his books.

Beijing has vowed to help build a community of shared destiny and interest, in which China and African countries can enjoy the dividends of inclusive growth. Deepening bilateral cooperation that could bring tangible benefits to more than 2.3 billion people, as Premier Li Keqiang said at the 2014 World Economic Forum on Africa, will facilitate the most intensive inclusive growth and balance the global economic order.