Nation's common prosperity model hailed

In Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region lies a township called Minning. Its name combines the Chinese abbreviation for East China's Fujian province, "Min", and that for Ningxia, "Ning", symbolizing a partnership that has spanned more than 4,000 kilometers and become one of China's most celebrated examples of east-west cooperation in poverty alleviation.

In October 2019, Li Huiqin, 38, left Fujian to work in Minning as a seconded official involved in the Fujian-Ningxia paired assistance program, leading local residents in fighting poverty and working toward common prosperity.

Through livestreaming commerce, he promoted Ningxia's unique products to the southeastern coastal areas. He also encouraged entrepreneurs from Fujian to invest and establish businesses in Minning, which created job opportunities for local residents right at their doorstep.

When Li brought his stories about Minning to the International Seminar on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Its Relevance to the World, which was held on Thursday in Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia, the Chinese model of poverty alleviation touched the hearts of attendees.

Mabel Memory Chinomona, political bureau member and secretary of the Women's League of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and president of the Senate of Zimbabwe, said she was most impressed by the holistic approach adopted in Ningxia, where poverty alleviation is not viewed as a temporary intervention, but as a comprehensive and sustainable development process.

"The transformation of once impoverished communities into thriving centers of economic activity stands as a testament to the Communist Party of China's visionary leadership, sound policy implementation and the unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the people," Chinomona said.

"We particularly commend the leadership and commitment of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, whose vision and guidance have been instrumental in advancing China's targeted poverty alleviation, particularly through the implementation of the paired assistance strategy," she added.

Since 1996, China has been pairing its more developed eastern provincial-level regions with relatively less developed western ones. Thousands of officials have made the journey from the east to the west as part of the paired assistance program, and Minning has become a living testament to its success.

Xi, who was then a senior official in Fujian, oversaw the progress of cooperation between Fujian and Ningxia. Under his leadership, these regions took the lead in establishing a joint conference mechanism and initiating mutual exchange of officials through temporary assignments. Thanks to the program, all 803,000 impoverished people in Ningxia were lifted out of poverty by 2020.

As China enters a new phase of high-quality development, cooperation between Fujian and Ningxia is moving steadily toward higher-quality growth.

At Thursday's event, which was jointly hosted by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee, foreign political leaders hailed the great achievements China has made in poverty alleviation, saying that China's experience is valuable for more and more developing countries.

Mohammed Ouzzine, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco, highlighted the concept of "targeted poverty alleviation" put forward by Xi — an approach that emphasizes tailoring policies to local conditions, accurately identifying impoverished households and efficiently deploying resources.

The Chinese experience has also demonstrated that strong political will, correct theoretical guidance, precise operational mechanisms and broad social mobilization are key approaches to eradicating poverty, he said.

Ghulom Halimzoda, chairman of the Socialist Party of Tajikistan, said the core lesson from China's experience in poverty alleviation is not merely the substantial resources invested, but the continuity of policies, the governance capacity to coordinate and mobilize various forces and, most important, the people-centered development philosophy.

Contact the writers at caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn