Interview: China's achievement in poverty alleviation "spectacular success": former U.S. diplomat

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-16 13:58:22|Editor: huaxia

Kenneth Quinn, president emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation and former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, Oct. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

- Former U.S. diplomat Kenneth Quinn mainly attributes China's success to four "Rs", namely roads, research, rice and reform.

- "Another lesson to take away from China is the importance of training and educating a large number of people to administer programs," Quinn said, adding that China's achievements have contributed to the global cause of poverty reduction.

NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- China has made remarkable achievements in alleviating poverty, and its experience also offers inspiration to the global cause of poverty reduction, a former U.S. diplomat has said.

Calling China's efforts in poverty reduction "a truly remarkable achievement," former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Kenneth Quinn recently told Xinhua that he believes there is no other country that "has done as much in such a short period of time to reduce poverty than in China."

"It can only be said to be a spectacular success," said Quinn, also president emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation.

Children hail as they play at a relocation site in Baxoi County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Sept. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

In the past seven decades, more than 850 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of poverty reduction worldwide, official data showed.

Furthermore, China is on course to eradicate extreme poverty across the country by 2020, which will make the country the first in the world to end absolute poverty.

The veteran U.S. diplomat, who first visited China in 1979 and has since made multiple trips there, said he mainly attributes China's success to four "Rs", namely roads, research, rice and reform.

According to Quinn, roads, or the absolute infrastructure, are the essential element to development, and China's decades-long intense research in such fields as agriculture is also an important catalyst.

"Along with research, of course, comes innovation," he said.

Qin Yongling, a homebound entrepreneur, shows chicken eggs collected from his farm in Renyuan Village of Jinji Township in Wuxuan County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Meanwhile, endeavor by Chinese agronomists and researchers, including Yuan Longping, in increasing rice production is another crucial factor.

"And finally, the fourth 'R' is reform, policy reform," he said, adding that socialism with Chinese characteristics has "been very very effective, very impressive."

He said he has witnessed "how effective institutions are being implemented" and is always impressed by "how well everything works" when traveling in China.

Chinese people also deserve credit for the hard work and innovation that has brought about the dramatic improvement in poverty alleviation, he said.

Regarding China as "a great example of what can happen," Quinn said the Chinese experience has set a pioneering example of practical significance to the international community.

Prioritizing infrastructure construction, valuing education and research to inspire young generations, and offering opportunities to women are among the key lessons that other nations can draw from China, said Quinn.

Combo photo taken on Sept. 22, 2020 shows villagers posing for photos in front of their vegetable store (L) in Daxiong Village of Riwoqe County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, and a relocation site in Riwoqe. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

"Another lesson to take away from China is the importance of training and educating a large number of people to administer programs," he said, adding that China's achievements have contributed to the global cause of poverty reduction.

Noting that international cooperation is crucial to tackle the global challenge of ending poverty, Quinn urged the United States and China to collaborate in tackling poverty.

"China and the United States have both shown they can do remarkable things," he said, adding that joint efforts by the two largest economies could help uplift the world.

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