He emphasised that China’s success demonstrates that poverty is not an irreversible condition for developing nations. Citing President Xi Jinping, Ambassador Liu said China’s journey proves that “a weaker bird can start early and fly high,” underscoring the power of vision, determination and sustained effort.
“If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too,” he said, noting that the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) recently convened its fourth plenary session in Beijing, reaffirming the country’s development path.
The Bantaba, spearheaded by Ambassador Liu, brought together senior government officials, parliamentarians, journalists and other stakeholders, many of whom shared insights and experiences gained from seminars and exchange programmes in China.
Discussions at the forum focused on how China and The Gambia can strengthen cooperation toward modernisation and poverty reduction, while drawing lessons from China’s path to eliminating extreme poverty. Participants also engaged in in-depth dialogue on the role of leadership, policy consistency and institutional capacity in achieving sustainable development.
Ambassador Liu explained that China’s poverty alleviation model evolved from reliance on external support likened to a “blood transfusion” to a more sustainable, self-driven approach rooted in local initiative, empowerment and productivity.
He disclosed that in 2025 alone, the Chinese Embassy facilitated visits for more than 1,000 Gambians to China under various exchange programmes, all of which focused on poverty reduction, development planning and capacity building.
Reflecting on China’s development history, Ambassador Liu noted that when the People’s Republic of China was founded 76 years ago, the country started from a very low economic base.
“At that time, China’s per capita national income was only 27 US dollars. The challenge of poverty alleviation almost defied imagination,” he recalled.
However, over the past seven decades particularly since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, China intensified its poverty eradication drive under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with President Xi Jinping at the core.
He described the campaign as unprecedented in scale and intensity, benefiting the largest number of people in human history. In 2021, he added, President Xi formally declared victory in the battle against poverty, marking the successful completion of China’s goal to eliminate extreme poverty.
Ambassador Liu concluded by reaffirming China’s commitment to sharing its development experience with partners like The Gambia, stressing that cooperation, knowledge exchange and strong leadership remain critical to achieving inclusive growth and a poverty-free future.
