A promotion is held at the booth of Argentina at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)
The researcher at the Argentina-China Studies Center of the University of Buenos Aires talked with Xinhua about how China's example of poverty reduction "should be considered as one of the most important in the history of humanity."
BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's efforts to alleviate poverty have generated "unparalleled" results, making the Asian country an example in this field, Argentinean academic Santiago Bustelo said on Friday.
The researcher at the Argentina-China Studies Center of the University of Buenos Aires talked with Xinhua about how China's example of poverty reduction "should be considered as one of the most important in the history of humanity."
Bustelo said that China has achieved this result through strategies combining political leadership with a robust model of economic growth, as well as a strong capacity to adapt to different circumstances.
For this reason, he said that China's goal of eliminating absolute poverty this year is achievable, as over 90 million people in rural areas have already been lifted out of poverty from 2013 to 2019.
The academic said China's successful experience in poverty alleviation has shown the world that economic growth can also be fostered through fighting poverty and improving living conditions, not just the other way around.
"Many times, it is believed that the reduction of poverty is a consequence of economic development, but what China shows us is that the fight against poverty is one of the engines and causes of development," said Bustelo.
"These are two concomitant processes that feed into each other. In a sense, economic development is necessary to reduce poverty, but in turn, poverty reduction is also a necessary factor in achieving economic development," he added.
"The issue of poverty is one of the most important elements of the Chinese government's agenda. In addressing it, one of the main measures has been the allocation of fiscal resources to the most vulnerable sectors," the academic said.
Bustelo regarded China's experience as an example that Latin American countries could learn from, as the region is subject to political and economic instability which has impeded the long fight against poverty.
The researcher said that global poverty alleviation should be a result of global stability, and unilateral and protectionist actions only increase the climate of instability, moving the world far away from poverty eradication.
"A stable and cooperative global context is undoubtedly one of the necessary conditions for development," he said, adding that "the recent unilateralism of the United States affects the stability and orderly function of the international system, particularly in economic, commercial, and financial aspects."
"Instability and unpredictability" both have detrimental effects on developing countries, as these two factors will hamper the expansion of trade and investment, said Bustelo.
He further said the fight against poverty should also be a result of a cooperative environment, which will only be possible within an international system where the voices of the least developed countries are heard. ■
