By Sardar Khan Niazi
Pakistan and China are going to collaborate on poverty eradication and have agreed for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for poverty alleviation in the field of commerce.
To discover avenues of teamwork in poverty alleviation, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong called on SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar. The two discussed the implementation arrangements of the MoU.
Appreciating the great achievements and experience of China in poverty alleviation, she said that poverty alleviation is the priority of the government of Pakistan. The MoU will enable Pakistan to learn from China’s experience in poverty alleviation and to disseminate lessons from Ehsaas, which is a multi-sectoral program for alleviating poverty.
On the cooperation for poverty alleviation in the field of commerce, the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) of the Government of Pakistan and the Ministry of Commerce of China are entering a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The Federal Cabinet approved the MoU on October 27, 2021.
China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners. Under the MoU, both the countries will enhance cooperation and exchange of experience, especially in the context of poverty reduction, through leveraging the potential for commerce.
The Chinese side will take advantage of commerce in connecting urban and rural areas, linking home and abroad, matching production and marketing, focusing on the exchange of experience on developing poverty alleviation industries, creating employment opportunities.
China will also promote domestic and foreign trade in poverty-stricken areas, thus helping to eradicate and alleviate poverty, and will help Pakistan expand its vision and innovate its method for poverty alleviation, promoting better economic and social development in Pakistan.
Both countries will also establish a communication mechanism to exchange poverty alleviation experience in the field of commerce under the framework of China Pakistan Joint Economic and Trade Committee. In addition, regular exchanges will take place on the implementation mechanism, management mode, and main effectiveness of commerce-based poverty alleviation to promote programmatic cooperation.
Poverty gives rise to many problems such as starvation, ailments, and even societal skirmishes and becomes an obstacle in people’s quest for a better way of life. It is an ingrained issue in any nation. China, which comprises one-fifth of the world populace, has arisen triumphantly in the combat against poverty. It is China’s victory that it has solved its historical problem of poverty.
China went further than the textbook theories in order to eradicate poverty, and now it can make available new concepts and methods to wage a war against poverty at the international level. Through fighting poverty, China has met the programs of the United Nations for sustainable development ten years ahead of the schedule.
China lifted out of poverty 98.99 million underprivileged rural residents living under the poverty line during the last eight years. China defeated poverty through dialectical thinking and refining the whole apparatus of the pro-poor market.
By employing human and natural resources in rural areas, China wiped out poverty and attained affluence. By working on the indigenous natural assets in poverty-ridden areas, it developed numerous small businesses, which consequently boosted local economic growth and produced opportunities for employment.
To reduce poverty China upheld the objective of common prosperity by establishing a pro-poor market in which all the sectors worked jointly. China allocated nearly 1.6 billion Yuan in each fiscal year for the fight against poverty.
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General highly commends China’s successes in poverty eradication. He thanked China for its role in modeling and executing the Sustainable Development Goals, as shown by its solid pledge and substantial progress to eradicate poverty in all proportions.
China’s accomplishments afford prized lessons in poverty alleviation for every country and are now being shared with other countries through South-South Cooperation.
