Poverty Reduction in China: Experiences and Measurement of Effects

This study employs the generalized method of moments(GMM)and panel vector autoregression(PVAR)models for a multi-factor quantitative dissection of China’s poverty reduction process across multiple stages,using provincial panel data from 2000 to 2019.According to our research,economic growth and social development are the key drivers of poverty reduction in China,but the trickle-down effect of economic growth is diminishing and marketization is having a lesser pro-poor effect.Public expenditure has failed to provide social protection and income redistribution benefits due to issues such as targeting error and elite capture.Increasing the efficiency of the poverty reduction system calls for adaptive adjustments.Finally,this study highlights China’s poverty reduction experiences and analyzes current challenges,which serve as inspiration for consolidating poverty-reduction achievements,combating relative poverty,and attaining countryside vitalization.

Study on the Influence of Farmer Social Capital on Cooperative Supply Willingness of Agricultural Disaster Reduction Public Goods——Based on the Investigation on 515 Farmers

Based on social capital theory,related factors of three dimensions( structure dimension,cognition dimension and relation dimension) of farmer social capital are taken as independent variables,and famer's willingness to cooperatively supply agricultural disaster reduction public goods is taken as dependent variable. Taking 515 farmers in 27 villages of Hubei Province as investigation objects,the influence of farmer social capital on cooperative supply willingness of agricultural disaster reduction public goods is explored by Logistic regression model. Research results show that social solidarity,common value concept,social trust and reciprocal content have positive impact on farmer's willingness of cooperative supply,while annual household income,number of agricultural disaster reduction public goods and social network have negative impact on farmer's willingness of cooperative supply.

Study on Farmers' Satisfaction with the Supply of Public Goods for Disaster Reduction in Agriculture——Based on the Survey Data of Farmers in Two Counties and One District of Hubei Province

According to actual features of public goods for disaster reduction in agriculture,an evaluation indicator system of farmers' satisfaction with the supply of public goods for disaster reduction in agriculture composed of five first-grade indicators containing 18 second-grade indicators was established firstly,and then a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of farmers' satisfaction was set up. Finally,farmers' satisfaction with the supply of public goods for disaster reduction in agriculture in two counties and one district of Hubei Province was evaluated by the model. The results show that farmers are satisfied with the supply of public goods for disaster reduction in agriculture on the whole,but farmers' satisfaction with openness about funds for disaster reduction,supply structure of public goods,work attitude and work efficiency is at a general level. Some suggestions about the four aspects were proposed,such as improving supervisory mechanisms to increase funding transparency,making information channels unblocked to improve the supply efficiency of public goods for disaster reduction,and improving the quality of government workers to increase their work efficiency.

BUILDING A MODERATELY PROSPEROUS SOCIETY IN ALL RESPECTS——Poverty Reduction: Xi Jinping’s Statements and Chinese Path

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese people have been struggling against poverty amid national development under the leadership of the Communist Party of China(CPC). Since reform and opening up, in particular, China has planned for and organized development-oriented poverty reduction practices on a broad scale with remarkable achievements and blazed a new path of development-oriented poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics. This path is both an essential component of Chinese socialism and a result of the CPC’s ideological improvement on poverty reduction. Since the 18 th CPC National Congress in 2012, the whole Party, country, and society have been called upon to fight the battle against poverty on a full-scale under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statements on poverty reduction, unveiling a new stage for China’s development-oriented poverty reduction in the new era. China’s unprecedented poverty reduction achievements have enriched the path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics. Xi Jinping’s insightful and coherent statements on poverty reduction represent the latest results of Marxist anti-poverty theories and comprise an essential part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era. His guidelines are the basis for the brilliant achievements of China’s poverty reduction endeavors, and will contribute Chinese experience and wisdom to global poverty governance.

Effects of Social Security Spending on Income Distribution and Poverty Reduction in China

Reasonable income distribution and eradication of rural poverty are vital for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in China.This paper primarily examines the income distribution and poverty reduction effects of social security spending.Market income and redistribution policies are two determinants of income gaps.Based on CHIP2018 household survey data,we find that inadequate income redistribution policies have contributed to yawning income gaps,and that social security spending is more redistributive than personal income tax and social security contributions.After estimating the redistribution effects of social security spending and itemized incomes,we find that pension payments have contributed the most to household income gaps,and that subsistence protection and rural pension payments help improve income distribution.With respect to the poverty reduction effects of social security spending,we have estimated China’s current poverty incidence and the poverty reduction effects of pension payments,healthcare,and educational allowances with CHIP2018 data,and discover that an increase in social security spending may effectively reduce rural poverty.In building a moderately prosperous society in all respects,China should increase social security spending,focusing on specific target groups,and promote the role of social security spending in regulating income distribution and offering social protection to rural residents.

The contribution of cooperative irrigation scheme to poverty reduction in Tanzania

Irrigation system is a scare resource in most of drought-stricken Africa.How to manage and maintain the existing irrigation facilities in Africa is a debatable issue to both policy makers and beneficiaries.Irrigation facilities run by farmer cooperatives are considered ineffective,unsuccessful and dysfunctional in Tanzania by many researchers.A cooperative irrigation scheme is a mechanism that features the collective management of rural irrigation facilities by farmers'cooperative with some government intervention and external support.There is an increasing emphasis on the roles of cooperative irrigation scheme in the development of the agriculture sector and poverty reduction of smallholder farmers.In this study,the authors investigated the management and services of this scheme and analyzed its contribution to poverty reduction of smallholder rice farmers and community development in Tanzania through both quantitative and qualitative methods.The results showed that the scheme helped smallholder farmers increase the rice production and brought better market opportunities.The farmers'net income was also increased.Profit generated from rice farming not only improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers but also created more employment opportunities in the rural communities.The research also revealed that the scheme was faced with a number of challenges due to resource and institutional constraints and low-level human capacity for both management and members.The research provides a feasible approach to effective management of small-scale agricultural infrastructure for poverty reduction in Africa.

Poverty reduction within the framework of SDGs and Post-2015 Development Agenda

The eradication of poverty is one of the largest global challenges facing the world. This article examines poverty reduction goals within the framework of Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). It also discusses the relationship between poverty reduction and sustainable development. Poverty reduction and sustainable development are inseparable and poverty reduction is the premise for sustainable development. Furthermore, several key bones of contention on the role of poverty reduction and sustainable development and implications of Post-2015 Development Agenda are also discussed. It concludes that to end poverty and inequality should continuously be given top priority for the Chinese government, because poverty reduction is China's soft power. Meanwhile, new ways of poverty alleviation should be explored and government should make great efforts to create a new partnership for poverty reduction and development.

Poverty Reduction Effects of China’s Aid and Investment to Developing Countries

The Chinese approach to poverty reduction is a government-led and marketbased approach that gives priority to infrastructure and combines fiscal subsidy with development as an antidote to poverty.These characteristics are also evident in China’s cooperation with other developing countries on poverty reduction.China supports other developing countries to reduce poverty via aid and investment mainly in the field of infrastructure.While the government and SOEs take the lead in foreign aid and investment,China also invites other sources of capital to participate in market-based development in partnership with recipient countries.Our empirical research finds that aid and investment from China are generally conducive to reducing poverty incidence in recipient developing countries,but their poverty reduction effects vary across different types of aid and investment.The elements characteristic of the Chinese approach to poverty reduction proved to be effective in helping other developing countries reduce poverty as well.Nevertheless,the effectiveness of aid and investment in reducing poverty is subject to the governance and market efficiency of recipient countries.In order for the Chinese experience to work in less developed countries,future cooperation on poverty reduction must put a premium on governance and market systems.

Does empowering women benefit poverty reduction?Evidence from a multi-component program in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China

Ending poverty is a top priority of the international development agenda,and governments worldwide have attached great importance to poverty alleviation measures.However,poverty reduction policies have mostly focused on men,which has widened the gap in productivity and income between men and women and increased gender inequality.This paper aims to determine the impacts of a multi-component program on women's empowerment and poverty reduction,and explore the role empowered women play in poverty reduction.The dataset used in this study was collected in nine poor counties of Ulanqab City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China at the end of 2014,yielding a sample of 900 households.Recall questions were used to reconstruct the baseline data and build a panel dataset.Smaller groups of rural households were further identified to better target the women in the beneficiary group.To control the selection bias,propensity score matching,inverse probability weighting,and the difference-in-differences matching method were used to analyze the effect of the program and undertake robust checks.The results show that the program has positive effects on women's empowerment and poverty reduction simultaneously.Empowering women also has positive effects on poverty reduction,and the women who were the beneficiaries have contributed to increasing the incomes and living standards of households.Training,microfinance,and associations are common means or strategies to empower women to address poverty.This paper provides new empirical evidence that women can benefit from a gender-focus program through portfolio intervention such as training,cooperatives,and credit.Empowered women further improve the livelihoods of poor households and help lift them out of poverty.The results suggest that researchers and policymakers need to pay more attention to poverty issues from the perspective of gender.

Study on the Role of Land Circulation in Promoting Poverty Reduction through Industrial Development——A Case Study of Mopi Village,Xinping County,Yunnan Province

In recent years,under the stimulation of the national policy and the land circulation policy,the villages and towns have begun to guide the farmers to carry on the land circulation in an orderly way,combine the targeted poverty alleviation with the development of modern agriculture,and drive the registered households to participate in the modern agricultural industry and achieve the goal of getting rid of poverty and getting rich while realizing the transformation and upgrading of agriculture. The transfer of land management right can drive the local employment and the poverty reduction through industrial development is implemented. Taking Mopi Village in Xinping County as an example,this paper analyzes the main methods and effects of the transfer of land management right in this village in promoting poverty reduction through industrial development,and puts forward the existing problems and suggestions.

Influence Factors of Farmers' Willingness to Poverty Alleviation Relocation in South Shaanxi Province

In southern Shaanxi,far from the core areas of politics and economy,the conditions are inconvenient and farmers have been threatened by geology,floods for many years,resulting in a large population of poor people.The relocation of poverty alleviation project in southern Shaanxi is helpful for improving living standards of people in disaster-stricken areas.Based on the field survey,this paper analyzed 274 valid questionnaires and established a Logistic Regression Analysis Model.The result shows that the health status of head of household,road type before relocation,annual loss of disasters,and changes in the family income after relocation have a greater influence on the relocation willingness of farmers,while the educational level of householder,the distance from the original place of residence to the town and market,the condition of household electricity before relocation and other factors have a little influence on the relocation willingness of farmers.

Long-Term Poverty Reduction Strategies in China Post-2020

Poverty reduction is an eternal theme in the modernization drive of countries.After 2020,China’s poverty reduction endeavors will face new challenges and shift towards:(i)elevating poverty standards,(ii)placing equal emphasis on rural and urban poverty,(iii)preventing people in the deeply poor regions from slipping back to poverty,(iv)combining external assistance with endogenous development,and(v)enhancing social protection and targeted fiscal support for aiding the poor.Following the new trends of poverty reduction,policymakers should update their strategic approach,adopt new poverty reduction standards,target at a broader group of poor groups,promote pro-poor development,and improve poverty governance.Lastly,this paper puts forward the following policy recommendations for reducing poverty in China post-2020:(i)maintaining policy continuity and stability during the transition period;(ii)creating regular poverty relief mechanisms for urban and rural residents;(iii)improving the targeted identification and dynamic adjustment of target groups for poverty reduction;and(iv)reducing poverty through social protection and development.

Achievements and Outlook of China's Multidimensional Poverty Reduction

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government has made great achievements in reducing poverty through human capital development(education, healthcare, gender equality, maternal and infant health, and prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency), infrastructure construction(transportation,electric power, ICT application and access to safe drinking water), improvement of living conditions(toilet hygiene, stove renovation and resettlement) and rural social security("five-guarantees" system, subsistence allowance, rural pension insurance, natural disaster relief and agricultural insurance). Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Chinese government has made remarkable progress in eradicating poverty and enhancing village governance. However, serious challenges will still exist after China's poverty eradication in 2020 and may lead to re-impoverishment.

Study on Rural Poverty Reduction Effect of Traffic Infrastructure

To systematically comb and explore the rural poverty reduction effect of traffic infrastructure,the author analyzed the mechanism,main channels and actual effect of rural traffic infrastructure on poverty reduction.It revealed that rural traffic infrastructure exerts positive or negative effect on poverty reduction directly or indirectly.The positive channel includes increasing non-agricultural employment opportunities,reducing costs for agricultural production,transportation and labor transfer,increasing availability of social service,and promoting adjustment of agricultural industrial structure and development of rural tourism resources.On the whole,traffic infrastructure has significant positive influence on rural poverty reduction.Finally,it summarized policy recommendations for building pro-poor traffic infrastructure,and came up with vacancy of related research field and future exploration direction.

China's Four-Decade Rural Poverty Reduction in Urbanization:Efforts and Outcomes

Over the past four decades of reform and opening-up, China has basically eradicated hunger and lifted over 700 million rural people out of poverty. China's poverty incidence has dropped to about 3%. These achievements can be attributed to the following factors: First, farmers have regained their economic freedom that was lost in the planned economy era. Second, China's top decision-makers have followed people's will by transitioning into the market economy and thus achieved rapid economic growth. Third,the government has continuously enhanced infrastructure and human capital investments,and implemented a social protection system in rural and urban areas nationwide. Fourth,integrated poverty reduction measures have been carried out to assist poor people in disadvantaged regions and those with poor capabilities. Given the diminishing poverty reduction effect of pro-poor fiscal funds, it is necessary to avoid direct administrative interventions in the operational decision-making of poor households and broaden institutional space for rural cooperative economy. Meanwhile, China should remove inequalities in the rights between the urban and rural households, facilitate the labor migration of the poor, and promote the urbanization of rural people.

Comfortable Housing Projects for Tibetan Farmers and Herdsmen from the Perspective of Poverty Alleviation

Through questionnaire survey and field interview of farmers and herdsmen,this paper studied the comfortable housing projects implemented since 2006 in Namling County of Shigatse City.Taking the comfortable housing projects in Namling County as an example,this paper elaborated the relationship between the poverty alleviation and the comfortable housing projects for farmers and herdsmen and discussed the necessities for implementing comfortable housing projects in the context of the poverty alleviation.There are some problems at the same time of social,economic and ecological benefits of implementing the comfortable housing projects for farmers and herdsmen.Finally,it came up with pertinent recommendations for strengthening and improving the construction of comfortable housing projects in Namling County.

Poverty reduction effects of integrating high-quality development and cultural tourism in China

The integration of the cultural tourism industry with high-quality development is believed to be an important method of alleviating poverty.Most research in this area has focused on single towns,cities,or regions without considering the spillover effects of neighboring areas.To fill this gap,this study applies a spatial panel econometric model to empirically test the spatial spillover effects of integrating the cultural tourism industry with high-quality developments and their mechanisms of poverty alleviation based on provincial panel data of the Chinese Mainland from 2010 to 2020.Four key results are presented.First,there is an obvious spatial dependence on the high-quality development scale,specialization level,and poverty level of cultural tourism integration.The common panel model is found to overestimate the impact of this integration on poverty alleviation because it ignores the spatial spillover-related explanatory variables.Second,the scale of development quality is found to have no significant impact on poverty alleviation when integrating cultural tourism;however,the level of development specialization has both a direct impact on poverty alleviation and the spatial spillover effect.Third,the integration of the cultural tourism industry in the Central and Western regions is shown to have a strong direct effect on poverty reduction through high-quality development.However,the spillover effect on poverty reduction in the Eastern region is greater than that in the Central and Western regions.Fourth,the integration of high-quality development and cultural tourism is found to have a direct impact on poverty alleviation overall by promoting tourism consumption,material capital accumulation,and structural transformation.

On the Subjectivity Spirit of Farmers in Targeted Poverty Alleviation

Farmers’subjectivity spirit is the fundamental political and ethical spirit of targeted poverty alleviation.A standardized analysis based on the whole process of targeted poverty alleviation easily reveals that the subjectivity spirit of farmers can be summarized into the spirit of extensive equality of participation,the spirit of complete standardization of procedures,and the spirit of seeking benefits for people as a result.However,the current work on targeted poverty alleviation has confronted with various hidden worries about the farmers’subjectivity dilemma,which leads to the alienation of poverty alleviation work.The key way only to solve the problem is to cultivate the farmers’subjectivity culture and integrate it into the whole process of targeted poverty alleviation.

Linking Markets to Smallholder Agro-forestry Farmers as a Strategy for Poverty Alleviation in the Tropics

The objective of the study was to assess factors affecting market participation of agro-forestry smallholder farmers in Uganda. Primary data on household, farm and marketing characteristics were collected from 153 farming households using a semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire. The determinants of market participation were assessed using the Probit model. Descriptive statistics showed that a combination of crop, livestock and tree products were marketed by farmers. The main products included maize, cassava and coffee （crops）; firewood and poles （tree products）; and birds and goats （livestock products）. Results from the Probit model showed that farm size, household size, education level, access to credit and extension visits had positive and statistically significant effects on market participation of farmers in agro-forestry products＇ markets. Age of farmer had a negative and statistically significant effect on the participation. Emphasis on improving the quality and coverage of extension services, extending credit facilities to farmers and intensifying agro-forestry training among farmers are suggested as avenues to enhance participation of farmers in agro-forestry products＇ markets.

FAO’s Cooperation with China on Poverty reduction

OVER the past four decades of reform and opening-up,China’s economic development has accomplished significant achievements,Economic and social growth in povertystricken areas,especially,has made great strides.“In just four decades,China lifted about 740 million people out of poverty as a result of comprehensive and innovative approaches that have successfully reached vulnerable populations.The UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals(MDGs)aimed at reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty by half.China was the first developing country that has achieved the target ahead of time,”Vincent Martin,the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s(FAO)representative in China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,remarked in an interview with China Today.China has created a miracle in the history of poverty reduction,making tremendous contributions to the fulfillment of the UN MDGs.