Forum seeks to address global issue of poverty

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on Tuesday to the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development, pledging to enhance policy communication, share poverty reduction experience, deepen practical cooperation, and join hands to build a beautiful world free from poverty and with common prosperity.

The forum, which opened on Tuesday in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, was themed "Sustained Poverty Reduction and Cooperative Development: Advancing Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development among SCO Countries".

In his message, Xi noted that poverty eradication, which is a global issue, is a common goal of all countries in the world.

Through arduous efforts, China has successfully won the battle against poverty, achieved the poverty reduction target of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, blazed a poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics, and written a new chapter in the history of mankind's fight against poverty, he said.

According to official data, 98.99 million residents in China's rural areas were lifted out of poverty, and 832 poverty-stricken counties and 128,000 impoverished villages were removed from the poverty list in 2021.

Emphasizing that the root cause of poverty is inadequate development, Xi said the SCO has actively carried out cooperation on poverty reduction and sustainable development in recent years, achieving remarkable results.

As the rotating chair of the SCO this year, China is ready to help more countries explore poverty reduction and sustainable development paths that suit their national conditions, he added.

Shen Yueyue, vice-chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairperson of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, read out Xi's letter at the event.

The letter fully demonstrates President Xi's strong emphasis on eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development, as well as his earnest expectations for deepening exchanges and mutual learning among SCO countries and building an SCO community with a shared future, Shen said.

Around 240 participants, including 120 foreign guests from countries such as Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Cambodia, attended the forum.

SCO Deputy Secretary-General Shri Janesh Kain said the group has made significant progress during China's presidency, particularly in enhancing cooperation among member nations in the area of sustainable development.

Last year, China proposed designating 2025 as the Year of SCO Sustainable Development, with a focus on fostering new drivers of development.

Kain said the forum is more relevant than ever, as over 700 million people still live in extreme poverty. The forum is an important step forward in formulating practical recommendations and launching new joint initiatives on poverty alleviation and sustainable development, he added.

In a video speech, Sardar Syedaal Khan Nasar, deputy chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, described the SCO as a vital platform promoting connectivity and shared development.

China's notable achievements in poverty alleviation offer an inspiring example for developing countries, including Pakistan, Nasar said.

Pakistan and China have great potential for enhanced cooperation in agriculture through strengthened technological exchanges and knowledge sharing, he said.

Nasar added that Islamabad highly values and welcomes Beijing's commitment to training 1,000 Pakistani agricultural experts, with the first group of 300 already participating in such programs in China.

Math Mara, secretary of state of Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development, said that China's approach to poverty reduction is one of the most successful in history and that the forum "is a great opportunity to share experiences, challenges and explore the best way forward through partnership and collaboration".

Contact the writers at zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn