Chunying An | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

Since the end of the World War II, developing countries have been exploring ways to realise national prosperity, hasten social and economic development and improve people’s welfare. For various reasons, however, poverty alleviation efforts have achieved different results. On the one hand, some developing countries like China have successfully reduced their impoverished population and become important contributors to the global poverty relief effort; on the other hand, the African continent, a place where most developing countries are located, is still struggling to lift people out of poverty.

At present, China-Africa poverty alleviation cooperation has established solid foundations as can be shown in strong political will and strategic consensus in poverty reduction serving bilateral common interests; the commonality in the basic features of poverty in China and Africa serving as the intrinsic driving force for poverty reduction cooperation; and increasing cooperation opportunities serving as external cementum. With increasing influence from south-south cooperation and African poverty reduction cooperation has entered a new era.

For African countries, it is advisable to draw selectively upon China’s poverty alleviation experiences based on each country’s own characteristics of history, culture and economics. That means, during the localization process of the foreign experiences on poverty alleviation, the African countries should form their own poverty reduction mode with African characteristics; for China, during the process of poverty reduction cooperation, the guiding ideology should be the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and the principle should be based on equality, inclusiveness and diversity of cooperation with respect for the autonomy of African poverty alleviation strategies, mobilising various forces to carry out comprehensive poverty alleviation measures.