Once marked by rough terrain and a harsh natural environment, southwest China's Sichuan Province faced longstanding poverty in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. With only a few roads and limited amenities, life here was challenging for the region's 178,000 residents across 17 county-level areas.
Recognizing the dire conditions, the Chinese government designated eleven of these regions as key areas in the national poverty alleviation campaign. In 2018, ahead of the Spring Festival, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Sanhe Village in Liangshan, urging locals to develop projects suited to their unique environment.
Empowered by Xi's call to action, villagers focused on crop farming and livestock breeding, making Simmental cattle a pillar industry. \"We have raised over 1,000 in the village,\" said Luogu Youge, deputy secretary of Sanhe's Party branch. \"The average household income increased by over 10,000 yuan (about $1,450) from raising cattle alone.\"
The anti-poverty campaign in Liangshan was comprehensive: more than 10,000 kilometers of rural roads were constructed, 350,000 residents were relocated to government-funded housing, and 215 villages received support to develop a collective economy. These efforts, coupled with improved infrastructure and internet access, allowed local agricultural products like potatoes, peppers, and walnuts to reach markets beyond the mountains, significantly boosting incomes.
Xi emphasized the importance of sustaining these victories, quoting a classic Chinese saying: \"The most difficult part of victory is not the winning, but the sustaining.\" He called for concrete steps to maintain and expand the gains from the fight against poverty as part of China's broader rural revitalization strategy. As the commander-in-chief of China's anti-poverty efforts, Xi pledged that \"the CPC will do whatever it takes to honor its commitment to the people.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
