On April 29, 2026, an article titled “China’s Poverty Eradication Path: A Practical Roadmap for China-Malawi Cooperation”by H.E. Lu Xu, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, was published in The Nation and Daily Times, introducing China’s poverty alleviation philosophy and highlighting tangible outcomes of pragmatic cooperation between China and Malawi.

The following is the full text of the article:

Poverty alleviation remains one of the most pressing challenge facing humanity today. Since the beginning of reform and opening up in 1978, China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of global poverty reduction over the same period. At a time when global poverty persists and inequality is widening in some countries, China realized the poverty reduction goal of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.

China’s poverty reduction achievements belong as much to the world as they do to China. As President Xi Jinping has noted, if China can make it, other developing countries can make it too. The Communist Party of China prioritizes poverty alleviation in its governance on the basis of domestic realities. Backed by a range of proven policies, this commitment has forged a path to poverty reduction with unique Chinese characteristics.

The success was built on three foundational principles:

First, China adheres to a people-centered philosophy and remains committed to the goal of common prosperity for all. It upholds the principle that no region or individual should be left behind, pairing more developed areas with less developed ones and ensuring sustained growth in poverty-alleviation funding. 

Second, development is regarded as the fundamental solution to poverty. By developing industries tailored to local conditions and upskilling workforce, China fosters an environment where diligence leads to better livelihoods.

Third, a strategy of targeted poverty alleviation has been fully implemented, with policies calibrated to specific conditions of each village, household, and individual. Assistance was delivered with precision to those in need, and resources were allocated with equal accuracy, ensuring that support reached the most impoverished areas and population.

As a Chinese saying goes, “A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden.” As a member of the Global South, China has long been an active participant in South-South cooperation, supporting developing countries in their fight against poverty. At the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), poverty reduction was set as a priority of China-Africa cooperation. Now this strategic consensus is translating into tangible progress.

From May 1, 2026, China will grant zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to products from all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties. Malawi has enjoyed it since 2024, more than a year ago now, offering broad market access for high-quality Malawian agricultural products, such as peanuts, soybeans, and macadamia nuts.

Meanwhile, China’s agricultural technical assistance to Malawi has become a flagship program of China-Malawi pragmatic cooperation. The second phase of the China-Malawi South-South Cooperation project, implemented in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is well underway. In practice, Chinese experts are working in the fields to share China’s agricultural know-how, including improved crop varieties, modern agricultural machinery, and efficient cultivation techniques. Instead of providing short-term assistance, China aims to help Malawians build self-sustaining capacity, genuinely empowering Malawian farmers to increase incomes. 

Over the years, China’s poverty eradication experience has taken root in Malawian soil. This is reflected in a range of collaborative endeavors, such as the China-Africa Science and Technology Backyard (STB) program, hybrid rice seeds donation, China Aid Malawi Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center in Salima, and the “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages” project. These efforts are sowing seeds of hope across Malawi’s vast fields and injecting sustained momentum into the shared pursuit of development and prosperity.

Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision. China stands ready to walk hand in hand with Malawi on its journey out of poverty. Looking ahead, China will continue to share its experience, and advance practical cooperation with Malawi under the Global Development Initiative and FOCAC. With joint efforts of both sides, the fruits of development will reach more people, energize a stronger bilateral strategic partnership, and further contribute to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.