The Politics of Poverty Alleviation in China

Abstract

Abstract Since 1987, China has lifted almost 800 million people out of abject poverty. It contributed half of the global reduction in poverty achieved in the era of the Millennium Development Goals and claims to be the first country to attain Sustainable Development Goal 1, eradicating extreme poverty, which was accomplished in 2021. When presented as a State Council handbook to guide developing countries, the achievement appears to result from technocratic expertise. The reality is that it is a product of the interplay of politics within a culture that has taken poverty to be a measure of rulers’ integrity, competence, and legitimacy for at least 3,500 years. The chapter documents the development of poverty alleviation from being a social problem to becoming an instrument of political ambition, a source of national pride, and a tool in international diplomacy.