David Ferguson丨Speech at the National Conference to Review the Fight Against Poverty and Commend Outstanding Individuals and Groups
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嘉宾简介：        大卫·弗格森，外文出版社英文部改稿专家、荣誉英文主编，曾荣获2020、2021年度中国政府友谊奖和第十五届中华图书特殊贡献奖。大卫·弗格森毕业于英国爱丁堡大学法学专业，2006年来华，2010年进入外文出版社工作至今，主要从事英文翻译编辑和写作工作，为我国领导人著作、政府白皮书及其他各类重点外宣图书改稿润色。《习近平谈治国理政》一至四卷英文版的主要外籍改稿人。 英文文本： Poverty is a problem that has long plagued humanity. Through- out history, combating poverty has remained an important matter of governance for countries around the world. The history of China is a chronicle of the Chinese people's struggle against poverty. A deep longing to see the people free of poverty and well fed and clothed was expressed by great historical figures such as Qu Yuan who lamented, “Long did I sigh to hold back tears; saddened I am by the grief of my people.” Du Fu wrote forlornly, “If only I could build a house with thousands upon thousands of rooms, I would bring all the poor people on the earth under its roof and bring smiles to their faces.” Dr Sun Yat-sen yearned to see “every family living in plenty, with not a single person left behind”. From the middle of the 19th century, China suffered political upheaval and incessant conflict due to the decadence of feudal rule and the aggression of Western powers. As the Chinese people struggled to earn their livelihood, the nightmare of poverty became an even greater torment. Escaping poverty thus became their constant goal and an important part of realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. From the outset, the CPC has pursued its mission of seeking happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It has shown steadfast commitment, uniting the people and leading them in a long and arduous struggle for a better life. During the New Democratic Revolution (1919-1949), the CPC united the peasants and led them in overthrowing local tyrants and dividing up the land, put into effect the policy of “land to the tiller”, and helped liberate those living in destitution. Winning broad support from the vast majority of the people, it went on to secure victory in the Chinese revolution and ultimately founded the People's Republic of China. This created the political base for eradicating poverty in China. After the founding of the PRC in 1949, the CPC united the people and led them in completing the socialist revolution, establishing and developing socialism as the country's fundamental system, and engaging in national construction. It mobilized the people and encouraged them to be self-reliant and work hard to bring order to the country and make it strong. This laid solid foundations for shaking off poverty and improving the lives of the people. After the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, the CPC united the people and led them in carrying out well-conceived and well-organized initiatives for development-driven poverty alleviation on a massive scale, and devoted itself to releasing and developing productive forces and to ensuring and improving public wellbeing, achieving remarkable and unprecedented results in the process. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee has made it clear that in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the most arduous tasks are to be found in rural areas, particularly impoverished rural areas, and that this goal cannot be considered complete unless these areas have reached moderate prosperity. The Central Committee has also emphasized that poverty is not compatible with socialism, and that if impoverished areas were to remain poor and unchanged for a long time with no noticeable improvement to people's lives, then there would be no grounds for asserting the superiority of China's socialist system. This, too, would be contrary to socialism, and therefore we must lose no time in the fight against poverty. At the end of 2012, not long after the Party's 18th National Congress, the Central Committee stated, “The measurement for moderate prosperity lies in the rural areas.” It pledged that not a single poverty-stricken area or individual would be left behind, and this launched the battle against poverty in the new era. In 2013, the Central Committee introduced the concept of targeted poverty alleviation and created new working mechanisms for poverty alleviation. At the Central Conference on Poverty Alleviation and Development in 2015, overall requirements were raised for fulfilling the objectives of the fight against poverty. Standards were set in six areas to ensure the precision of the work: identifying the poor accurately, arranging targeted programs, utilizing capital efficiently, taking household-based measures, dispatching first Party secretaries based on village conditions, and achieving the set goals. The Central Committee launched five key measures through which people would be lifted out of poverty: new economic activities, relocation from uninhabitable areas, recompense for eco-protection, education, and social assistance for basic needs. This sounded the call for a general offensive to win the battle against poverty. At the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, comprehensive plans were drawn up to achieve targeted poverty alleviation, as poverty, pollution, and major risks had been identified as the targets of three critical battles. To achieve the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the CPC focused its efforts on breaking through the last strongholds of absolute poverty and securing a decisive victory in this battle. In 2020, the Central Committee called on the whole Party and the entire nation to work even harder and with greater determination, to effectively meet the challenges posed by Covid-19 and severe flooding, and to march with full confidence towards the final victory in the battle against poverty. Over the past eight years, the Central Committee has made the battle against poverty a top priority in national governance and a fundamental component of moderate prosperity, and mobilized all the people to work to this end. With determination, endurance, and the courage to take on tough challenges, the Party and the people have liberated one stronghold after another from the grips of poverty, achieving a great and historic success. The entire rural poor population has emerged from poverty, a key contribution towards the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Every year since 2012, an average of more than 10 million people, equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country, have escaped from poverty. Poor people have seen their incomes grow by a significant margin, while their basic food and clothing needs have been guaranteed and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing and drinking water has been ensured. More than 20 million poor people with health issues have received proper treatment, and families that were once haunted by the specter of serious illness have been freed from that burden. Nearly 20 million impoverished people have received subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor; more than 24 million people with disabilities who faced financial difficulties, and people with severe disabilities, have received living or nursing subsidies. More than 1.1 million impoverished people have become forest wardens, earning their livelihood by protecting the environment. Whether on the snowy plateau, in the gobi desert, or under the shade of cliffs and mountains, the poverty eradication campaign has reached every corner of the country, helping countless people trans- form their future, realize their dream, and find a better life. Areas that have been the target of poverty elimination efforts have taken great strides to catch up in terms of economic and social development, and experienced dramatic and historic change. In impoverished areas, the pace of development has accelerated, economic strength has grown, and infrastructure has developed in leaps and bounds. At the same time, great progress has been made with social programs, and long-standing problems that have made it hard in the past for people to move around, attend school, seek medical attention, access safe drinking water and electricity, and communicate with the outside world have finally been resolved. School dropouts from registered poor families during the compulsory education stage have come back to school. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. An additional 1.1 million kilometers of rural roads have been built or upgraded, and 35,000 kilometers of new rail lines have been built. Reliability of power grids in impoverished rural areas has reached 99 percent, while 100 percent of poor villages on major grids are now connected to three phase power. The provision of both fiber optics and 4G connections to poor villages has surpassed 98 percent. Unsafe housing occupied by 7.9 million households, representing almost 26 million poor people, has been renovated; 35,000 residential communities and 2.66 million housing units have been built for more than 9.6 million people who have emerged from poor, isolated and backward places. Many villagers have bid farewell to rope crossings as bridges are built over the rift valleys, to bitter and saline water as they now have clean water to drink, and to houses built of beaten earth and straw that were exposed to the elements, as they have moved into bright and spacious new homes built of brick and tile. Millions of children from poor families now have more equitable educational opportunities, and no longer have to endure the daily trek to class now that they can board at school. All the 28 ethnic groups with smaller populations have been lifted out of poverty. Some of these ethnic groups, who transitioned directly from primitive to socialist society after the founding of the PRC, skipping forward a thousand years of social evolution, have now made a second historic leap from poverty and backwardness to all-round moderate prosperity. All of the last strongholds of poverty in deeply impoverished areas have been breached, and in the areas that have exited poverty, beauty and change can be seen everywhere one goes. People who have shaken off poverty are thriving, with the confidence and courage to rely on themselves. The fight against poverty has yielded gratifying results both in the material sense and the psychological sense. Those who have been lifted out of poverty have been instilled with the drive to keep pushing forward, while the core socialist values and healthy conduct have spread and taken root in society. The desire to do hard, solid work and build a happier life with one's own hands has become the norm in poverty-stricken areas. Party Secretary Mao Xianglin of Xiazhuang Village in Wushan County, Chongqing, led the locals in a seven-year effort to carve a path along precipitous cliffs to the outside world. He said, “It was gratifying to widen and lengthen the mountain path inch by inch and foot by foot. Even if our generation has to endure poverty and hardship for another decade, we are resolved to ensure that the next generation lives a better life.” Zhang Shundong, a disabled yet determined villager from Pingzi Village in Dongchuan District, Kunming, Yunnan Province, said, “Though we are impaired physically, we are not impaired in spirit. We still have brains to think and hands to work.” The mental fortitude of poor people has been honed and reinforced in the fight against poverty. Now with firmer confidence, keener minds, and greater ambition, their external and internal trans- formation is complete. The relationships between the Party and the public and between officials and ordinary people have improved significantly, consolidating the foundations of CPC governance in rural areas. Heeding the call of the Central Committee, Party members and organizations at all levels have spared no effort to accomplish their missions, and taken action to make good on their promises. In the fight against poverty, which has been no less of a battle despite the lack of gun smoke, they have sown with painstaking effort and harvested rich results. Poverty alleviation officials have worked for others at the expense of their own families, and formed bonds of friendship and cooperation with the impoverished people they have served. They have worked tirelessly and put in extra hours all year round, endured the strain and fatigue of their posts, and stepped up at crucial moments to face challenges head on, visiting countless families across the country through their effort and devotion. They have made their way up the highest mountains, trekked the most perilous roads, visited the most remote villages, and stayed with the poorest families. Wherever the need was greatest, that is where they have been found, hard at work. Here I would like to quote two village officials: “As long as I am still standing, I will always work for the people of this village. I will see them live a better life.” “As a CPC member, I must lead the people in weeding out the roots of poverty.” Grassroots Party organizations have played their key role. In their efforts to strengthen the CPC and promote poverty eradication, they have honed their best qualities, become stronger and more cohesive, and added to their capacity for governance. People in poverty-stricken areas have listened to the Party, sensed its support, and followed its lead. Here are a few relevant quotes: “With Party members taking the lead and us following that lead, there is hope that poverty will be eliminated.” “We love to hang the national flag, because there is no better symbol of good fortune.” “Just as he who drinks the water cannot forget who has dug the well, we cannot forget the Party for helping us escape poverty.” All this is evidence that the relationships between the Party and the public and between officials and ordinary people have been greatly strengthened. China has set an example and made a significant contribution to global poverty reduction. Casting off poverty has always been a prominent issue in global development and governance. Since the launch of reform and opening up, China has lifted 770 million rural poor out of poverty according to current standards, and contributed to more than 70 percent of global poverty reduction during this period according to the World Bank's international poverty line. It should be highlighted that even with severe global poverty and increasing polarization between rich and poor in certain countries, China has achieved the poverty reduction target set in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, winning wide acclaim from the international community. We have actively conducted international cooperation on poverty reduction, fulfilled our international obligations, provided other developing countries with all possible assistance, and acted as a champion for global poverty reduction. No other country throughout history has been able to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty in such a short period of time. This achievement is China's, but it also belongs to the world, and has contributed Chinese strength to the development of a global community of shared future. Over the past eight years, I have presided over seven central conferences on poverty alleviation, carried out more than 50 inspection tours on poverty alleviation work, and visited 14 contiguous impoverished areas. In the process, I have endeavored to see poverty in its rawest form, and to find out how poverty alleviation measures are being carried out, providing tangible assistance to the people who really need it and delivering genuine outcomes. I have spoken with poor people face to face and in great detail about their lives, and experienced first-hand the tremendous changes brought about by the fight against poverty. In places across the country, I have seen people who have escaped poverty smiling from the heart. These smiles are the greatest affirmation of the fight against poverty, the best possible reward for the dedicated work of Party members and officials, and the ultimate tribute to the revolutionaries and martyrs that came before us.