What the Global South can learn from China's development

BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by chinadiplomacy.org.cn on China's development experience for the Global South:

The following is a transcript of a speech delivered by Koh King Kee, president of the Centre for New Inclusive Asia, a Kuala Lumpur based independent think-tank, during the Global South Modernization Forum in Beijing on Nov. 21.

Over the past four decades, more than 800 million Chinese people have risen out of extreme poverty. This represents about 70% of global poverty reduction during that period — an unprecedented achievement in the history of humanity. In 2020, China announced that it had eliminated extreme poverty under its national poverty standard, achieving the poverty-eradication target set out in the U.N. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals a full decade ahead of schedule.

Now, let's look at how this happened.

If we look back, China's journey was anything but straight or easy. The poverty alleviation program began in the late 1970s, following the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy. That's when the country opened its doors, experimented boldly and tried new things — often without knowing exactly how they would turn out. What mattered was not having all the answers upfront. It was the willingness to learn, to admit mistakes and to adjust course when necessary. This pragmatic spirit — captured perfectly in the phrase "crossing the river by feeling the stones" — remains one of China's most valuable lessons.

China's success rests on four key factors.

First, strong political commitment. Poverty alleviation was not an afterthought or a campaign slogan. It was a well-planned development strategy to grow the economy and improve people's well-being. Targets were clear, timelines were fixed, and leaders at every level — from central ministries to township officials — were held accountable for implementation progress. China's political system made this whole-of-nation approach possible, while many developing countries struggle to maintain it, especially across election cycles.

Second, development was always centered on people's well-being. China did not treat GDP growth as an end. Infrastructure, education, medical care and social protection were not luxuries, but necessities. When you connect a remote village with a road, or provide a family with electricity or clean water, you give people the basic conditions to change their lives. China invested massively in these foundations.

Third, policies were tested before they were expanded. China rarely relied on a single, nationwide formula. What worked in Zhejiang might not work in Guizhou; what succeeded in Fujian might fail in Xinjiang. Pilot programs were launched, results were evaluated, and only then did policies scale up. This pragmatic style was a mix of experimentation and local creativity. It allowed China to avoid costly mistakes and adapt to diverse conditions.

Fourth, the government and the market worked hand in hand. While the state set priorities and provided resources, private companies, cooperatives and community groups also played important roles. E-commerce lifted rural producers, microfinance supported small entrepreneurs, and industries were guided to where they were needed most. Poverty alleviation became a shared effort, a "whole-of-society" undertaking.

Success story of Nujiang in poverty alleviation

Nujiang is one of the poorest regions in southwest China's Yunnan province, and it was there that I personally witnessed how the county's poverty alleviation program works in practice.

Yangpo village in Nujiang was once an isolated community perched on steep slopes, cut off by poor roads and deep poverty. Targeted poverty alleviation efforts relocated residents from dangerous cliffside homes to new valley settlements with access to schools, health care and markets. Villagers developed sustainable livelihoods such as walnut planting, beekeeping and cultural tourism, supported by training and cooperative models. Young people gained skills and found stable jobs outside the valley. Yangpo's experience shows how precise policies, ecological industries and people-centered relocation can lift even the most disadvantaged mountain communities out of poverty.

In pursuit of common prosperity

Although China has eliminated extreme poverty, its development journey is far from finished. The next phase, the pursuit of common prosperity, is about reducing inequality and ensuring that growth benefits everyone, not just a few. Common prosperity is not egalitarianism, and it is not about taking from the rich to give to the poor. It is about fairness, opportunity and a decent life for all.

It means improving livelihoods, strengthening the middle-income group, revitalizing the countryside and ensuring that a child born in a remote village has the same opportunities for the future as one born in a major city. It also extends to cultural life, social trust and environmental harmony. China maintains that development must enrich the human spirit, not just generate material wealth.

Lessons for the Global South

China's development experience offers several lessons for the Global South.

First, political will matters. Transformational development takes decades, not years. It requires a long-term vision, commitment and the patience to pursue it persistently.

Second, growth must be inclusive. If education, health care, infrastructure and social protection do not keep up, the benefits of economic expansion will bypass the most vulnerable.

Third, each country must find its own path. No model is universal and can simply be copied. China's approach may not be perfect, but it was effective because it was tailored to China's own specific conditions.

Fourth, cooperation is essential. In today's interconnected world, facing climate challenges, debt pressures, and widening technological gaps, no nation can develop alone. The Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and other cooperation platforms proposed by China reflect this belief in shared progress.

Poverty alleviation is not merely an economic issue. It is a matter of dignity and hope. Today, more than 700 million people around the world still live in extreme poverty. Many developing countries are weathering storms they did not create — climate shocks, global inflation, conflict and an unfair international system that often works against them.

China's journey shows that poverty is not destiny. With vision, determination and collective effort, societies can break free from historical constraints. The idea of a community with a shared future for humanity aligns naturally with the vision of common prosperity: both call on us to build a world that is fairer, more inclusive and more humane.

As the Global South rises and its voice grows stronger, we have a real opportunity — for the first time in history — to help shape a global order that reflects our shared interests and shared dreams.

I understand that China has extended the concept of poverty alleviation beyond its borders. For example, it is helping Laos reduce extreme poverty by teaching villagers how to plant and harvest rubber trees.

There is an African saying that reminds us of a simple truth: "If you want to go fast, go alone; If you want to go far, go together."

Let us choose to go far, together. Let us work toward a world where development is shared, prosperity is inclusive, and no one is left behind.

What the Global South can learn from China's development
https://en.chinadiplomacy.org.cn/2025-11/30/content_118202614.shtml 

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