
Propeller of poverty reduction and common development in the past eighty years
Eighty years ago, the United Nations was founded on the promise to “promote social progress” and “better standards of life” for mankind. Since then, poverty reduction and common development have stood as the core missions of the U.N., driving landmark initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As a founding member of the U.N., China has been a staunch supporter of global development. While lifting 800 million of its population out of poverty and meeting the 2030 Agenda’s poverty reduction targets ahead of schedule, China is also committed to common development worldwide, providing substantial support to fellow developing countries.
The philosophy guiding China’s actions is straightforward yet profound: The world cannot truly be a better place until all are better off. This vision is precisely what the world needs today to achieve the SDGs and build a better future for all. At a time when some countries tend to pursue their own interests at others’ expense and development is increasingly viewed as a zero-sum game, China’s story may offer some inspiration.
Helping Others to the Best of Its Ability
Knowing how important development is for a country, China is always willing and ready to reach out to those in need. Its commitment began as early as 1950—when the country itself still struggled for self-sufficiency—and continued to this day. During the early years before reform and opening up of 1978 set off over four decades of rapid domestic growth, China already extended a hand to fellow developing countries.
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a telling example. In order to help its African brothers and sisters complete this project crucial to their social and economic development, China did the best it could: From 1970 to 1975, it shipped nearly one million tons of raw materials to Africa, provided zero-interest loans worth RMB988 million yuan, and sent around 50,000 experts and technicians—an extraordinary effort for a country who was itself wrestling with poverty.
This philosophy—helping others to the best of its ability and leaving no one behind—has guided China’s actions throughout the years. As China’s economy grows, its commitment to common development has become stronger. From 1950 to 2009, China allocated RMB256 billion yuan in development assistance through various channels, and from 2013 to 2018 alone, aid totaled RMB270 billion.
Teaching How to Fish, Rather than just Giving Fish
From its own battle against extreme poverty, China learned an important lesson: sustained growth requires internal drivers. Therefore, beyond direct assistance, China prioritizes empowering development partners through technology promotion, infrastructure construction and talent cultivation, laying solid foundations for self-reliant development.
Since 1979, China has sent over 1,100 agricultural experts to more than 40 countries to share its hybrid rice breeding technology, which significantly boosted local yields and food security. China also assisted other developing countries in infrastructure, the backbone of economic and social development. In Africa, for instance, China has supported more than 6,000 kilometers of railway, over 6,000 kilometers of highway, and 80-plus large power facilities.
At the High-Level Roundtable on South-South Cooperation co-hosted by China and the U.N., President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, an organization dedicated to cultivating governance talent for developing countries. So far, more than 400 students from some 70 developing countries have graduated from this institute, returning home well equipped to drive local development.
A True Brother Treating All as Equals
In the 1960s, the late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai proposed eight principles for China’s foreign assistance, which center on no political conditions attached, equality, and mutual benefit. Over the years, China has matched its words with actions.
Unlike some Western donors, China never attaches any political conditions to its assistance, nor does it seek to impose its own development model on others. It holds that no country’s sovereignty and independence should ever be compromised, regardless of the country’s strength or wealth.
True to its belief that development should be a common cause demanding collective efforts, China seeks no selfish gains through its aid. Of the RMB270 billion yuan in its development aid, nearly half is in the form of unconditional grants, the remainder being zero-interest or concessional loans. Through these programs, China is able to truly support many developing partners in overcoming poverty and advancing sustainable growth.
Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere comes first in the U.N. 2030 Agenda. For eight decades, China has not only championed this mission but emerged as a genuine propeller of global poverty reduction and common development. China will continue to press ahead down this road, yet for the world to truly be a better place, all countries need to pitch in, let go of zero-sum thinking, and embrace cooperation grounded in equality and good faith.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY YI FAN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 24 JUNE 2025