Chinese documentary narrates party officials’ role in winning fight against poverty

A new eight-episode documentary, Up and Out of Poverty, explores the inside story of China’s successful eradication of extreme poverty. Produced by China Media Group (CMG), the documentary features the theories and practices adopted by China during the process of poverty alleviation and demonstrates China’s anti-poverty policies, models and ideas.

The third episode, “Entrusted Mission,” looking at the crucial role numerous officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) played in the country’s victory against absolute poverty at the end of 2020, was aired by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday.

The tough battle against deep-set destitution required a strong resolve and unremitting efforts. In the face of this daunting task, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, commanded the nation’s anti-poverty fight by mapping out a detailed road-map and directing the right way for the Party’s endeavor.

To win the decisive battle, China established an accountability system for poverty alleviation in which the central government was in charge of making overall arrangements, provincial-level governments were obliged to take responsibilities, and city- and county-level governments were designated to implement specific projects. The strictest assessment system in history was established to evaluate the poverty alleviation and development effects of provincial-level Party committees and governments. And a grand pattern of poverty alleviation was set out with responsibilities assigned to Party secretaries at the provincial, municipal, county, township and village levels.

Since 2012, numerous Party officials and cadres have worked on the frontlines and dedicated themselves to this entrusted mission of lifting all people out of poverty by the end of 2020 as targeted.

In implementing the targeted poverty reduction policies, authorities at all levels carried out a “five-batch” approach to help the registered poverty-stricken population shake off poverty, respectively through industrial development, relocation, eco-compensation, education and social security.

Among the targeted poverty alleviation measures, eradicating poverty through relocation, which refers to the crucial drive of moving the poverty-stricken population from remote rural areas to richer lands, presented the most challenges.

By uniting as one and through concerted efforts, Party officials at all the five levels surmounted policy and administrative hurdles and helped relocate residents from mountainous areas to new houses and apartments in resettlement sites across the country.

In all, China relocated more than 9.6 million people to complete its poverty alleviation relocation plan during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period.

Over the years, party committees at the county level across China demonstrated their devotion and perseverance in fulfilling their solemn duty. As of the end of 2020, all 832 registered national-level poverty-stricken counties shook off poverty in a millstone achievement.

“We’re committed to uniting the county as one to resolutely secure a broad victory in the tough battle against poverty,” said Zheng Xiaodong, secretary of party committee in Pingli County, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.

Additionally, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee has carried out Party building to promote poverty alleviation by dispatching outstanding officials to serve as “first secretaries” in poverty-stricken villages and villages with weak and lax grassroots-level Party organizations. Overall, more than 30,000 poorly functioning Party organizations in poverty-stricken villages across the country completed re-organizing and upgrading.

“Party officials and members must set themselves as role models in leading a fundamental improvement of the work-style,” said Liu Junliang, former secretary of the Party committee in Longquanguan Township, Fuping County in north China’s Hebei Province.

In total, China dispatched more than three million outstanding Party members and cadres to work as first secretaries and officials in around 128 000 poverty-stricken villages across the country.

Committed to building up the rural grassroots-level Party organizations and leading people out of poverty and become enriched, the first secretaries and officials actively devoted themselves to handling the numerous affairs in various forms, both big and small, for the local people in their routine work of administration and in implementation of poverty alleviation measures in the places where they were stationed. They have played essential roles in completing the last stretch of endeavor in the national poverty alleviation campaign.

The successful deployment of Party officials and resources at all levels has been the key for China to seize the hard-earned victory against absolute poverty.