The platform organised by the Embassy, brought together Gambians from various walks of life who shared their remarkable experiences through an in-depth dialogue after having the opportunity to attend seminars in China.
The event further highlighted areas China and The Gambia should join hands to overcome poverty and achieve modernisation.
As next year marks the 10th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and The Gambia, the Ambassador said, China stands ready to strengthen the exchange of experience in state governance with The Gambia.
He said China is ready to deepen practical cooperation across all sectors, expand their strategic partnership, and jointly strive for a community with a shared future for mankind that is free from poverty, and have become prosperous and harmonious.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Liu Jin revealed that China’s 98.99 million people in rural areas who were living below the current poverty threshold, all got rid of poverty; that all the 128,000 impoverished villages and 832 designated poor counties transformed for the better.
He said China has eliminated poverty over entire regions and eradicated extreme poverty, achieving the first target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - 10 years ahead of schedule.
Highlighting some of the perspectives on how China achieved its poverty alleviation, Ambassador Liu Jin revealed that they ensured strong leadership and built a capable team.
He said the centralised, unified leadership of the Central Committee of the CPC guides the fight against poverty, with a strengthened mechanism that ensures central leadership.
This, he said, makes overall plans, and helps provincial authorities take overall responsibility and the city and county authorities take charge of implementation.
He added that efforts have been made to build up village organisations around the core role of village party organisations. He noted that since 2013, over 3 million first Party secretaries and resident working team members have been selected and dispatched across the country to bolster the existing millions of grassroots cadres in targeted poverty alleviation efforts.
He stated that they also adhered to the people-centered development philosophy, that China considers the satisfaction of the people as a crucial measure of the effectiveness of poverty alleviation, focusing efforts on addressing basic living needs.
He said through these endeavours, there has been a substantial improvement in the incomes and welfare of the poor and this achievement is reflected in assurances of adequate food and clothing, and guarantees of access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing for impoverished rural residents.
He said they also continued to leverage the strength of China’s socialist system in pooling resources behind major undertakings, noting that in its eight-year fight to eradicate extreme poverty, China mobilised resources nationwide.
“Central, provincial, city, and county governments have earmarked a total of nearly 1.6 trillion yuan for poverty alleviation, ensuring strong financial support for poverty alleviation,” he added.
“We have encouraged provinces, cities, and counties to pair up with their counterparts and provide assistance. We have organized and launched poverty alleviation assistance to designated areas, involving all central Party and government bodies, other political parties, and people’s organizations,” he stated.
Further, he noted that China is ready to work with the Global South to advance modernisation, enhance cooperation in poverty reduction, and transform their own experience into public goods for the world.
“We are mindful that China’s experiences are not there for duplication. Our experiences serve as references only for Global South countries. They need to explore poverty alleviation paths suited to their national conditions,” he said.
In The Gambia, he said the International Conference Center has boosted the country’s exhibition economy, noting the road and bridge projects in the Upper River Region have removed the bottlenecks hindering the country’s inland connectivity.
Mrs Amie Bojang-Sissoho, director of press and public relations at the office of the President who also took the stage to share her China experience, applauded the Chinese government for its efforts in poverty alleviation and vast infrastructural development.
She calls on Gambians to reflect on how China fought to get out of poverty, which “can be a learning lesson for Gambians”.
