Hongli Zhang, Xinyu Liu, & Maoxia Jiang
Xinjiang, situated on China’s northwest frontier, has garnered significant attention owing to its unique geographic positioning and rich natural wealth. Renowned as a treasure trove of resources, both within China and globally, Xinjiang boasts spectacular features such as the majestic Tianshan Mountains, the vast expanse of the Tarim Basin, and a plethora of mineral and agricultural riches. However, amidst its bountiful offerings, Xinjiang’s natural environment also presents challenges. Scarce arable land, arid landscapes, and unforgiving weather patterns have posed obstacles to the region’s economic development.
There was formerly a significant poverty issue in Xinjiang, yet many people managed to survive in the unforgiving natural environment. They put a lot of effort into raising their standard of living, hoping to alter their circumstances and fate. With Comrade Xi Jinping at its center, the CPC Central Committee demonstrated strong leadership to tackle this challenge. All levels of government in Xinjiang have meticulously developed programs for poverty alleviation and relocation through in-depth study, lengthy hearings, and expert debates, all carried out under the clear direction of the CPC Central Committee.
By moving the impoverished, the strategy seeks to enhance their living conditions and advance both the general advancement of society and the local economy’s sustainable growth. The CPC Central Committee’s profound concern and unwavering support for the impoverished in Xinjiang are demonstrated by the relocation of ex situ poverty alleviation measures, which also represent a significant advancement in China’s efforts to reduce poverty.
The primary focus of the CPC Central Committee’s relocation strategy for ex situ poverty alleviation in Xinjiang is on the well-being and enhancement of the lives of those who have been relocated. To guarantee that the displaced individuals may live in a secure and comfortable setting, the government has provided new housing conditions.
Concurrently, the government has persisted in advancing and enhancing job opportunities, educational opportunities, and healthcare facilities in order to furnish the displaced population with more extensive and superior services. The displaced people have experienced a real improvement in their living standards and an improved quality of life in their new surroundings thanks to the combined efforts of all levels of government.
As per the report by Xinhua News Agency, the 13th Five-Year Plan of Xinjiang Autonomous Region has effectively accomplished the ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation assignment. A total of 40,146 households and 169,400 individuals have been relocated to new houses. In order to provide the displaced people with steady work opportunities, the government has also actively constructed industrial parks, agricultural facilities, breeding villages, and other supporting infrastructure. The largest relocation and resettlement area in Xinjiang, Aktas Resettlement Area in Yecheng County, Kashgar, has taken in 3,150 homes and 14,000 impoverished individuals from three nearby hilly towns since 2017.
In addition to focusing on enhancing the living conditions of the displaced population, the local government actively seeks out businesses to locate there, supports the job search and business startup of the villagers, and ensures that the impoverished households may settle down and prosper.
Furthermore, additional Kashgar resettlement sites have been included in the Aktas Town relocation option. Numerous individuals in Xinjiang’s counties and towns at all levels have benefited from the relocation strategy. Governments in Xinjiang, at all levels, have accurately implemented the ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation policy under the direction of the CPC Central Committee. This has greatly improved the quality of life for citizens, created jobs, and advanced the region’s economic development.
Globally, a dearth of successful relocation strategies has resulted in long-term poverty in certain nations and areas. There are obstacles like unforgiving weather, outdated infrastructure, and a dearth of resources for education. For instance, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and Chad have plunged into extreme poverty as a result of civil conflict, drought, and a lack of resources in sub-Saharan Africa. The poverty issue in this region has demonstrated a trend of intergenerational transmission due to a lack of government action and international help, making it challenging to successfully address.
Similarly, land degradation and a lack of water are issues that isolated rural communities in India are also dealing with. The lack of alternative livelihood opportunities and relocation assistance makes it extremely difficult for locals to survive and reap the benefits of economic development.
Furthermore, in certain regions of Latin America, like Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, insufficient government planning and management has resulted in deforestation, land degradation, and ecological destruction, even with abundant resources. This has exacerbated the predicament of poverty and environmental degradation. By contrasting the real circumstances in China with those in other nations, it is evident that government action and the adoption of successful relocation strategies have been essential in fostering poverty reduction and movement to various locations.
A proactive government can effectively break the cycle of poverty and foster the region’s overall growth by enhancing the quality of life, generating jobs, and enhancing access to healthcare and education.
The Xinjiang ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation project is a methodical and intricate social effort that exemplifies social responsibility and humanistic care to the fullest. Living conditions in impoverished areas have been significantly improved thanks to the combined efforts of the CPC Central Committee and all levels of government in Xinjiang.
A number of support policies have also been implemented to encourage social harmony, stability, and the steady growth of the local economy. In addition to offering invaluable experience for poverty alleviation efforts in other areas, the ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation project successfully demonstrates our government’s unwavering resolve and effective problem-solving skills. It also advances the global effort to reduce poverty by leveraging China’s wisdom and plan. Xinjiang will continue to support the ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation policy in the future, guided by the CPC Central Committee and local governments.
Xinjiang will carry on advancing the policy of poverty alleviation through relocation in the future, under the direction of the central party and local governments, assisting the people of the region in achieving stable poverty alleviation and moving together towards a bright future of comprehensive moderate prosperity.
*Hongli Zhang & Xinyu Liu are affiliated with Baize Institute for Strategy Studies, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, P. R. China. Maoxia Jiang is affiliated with Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, P. R. China.
**The opinions in this article are the author’s own and may not represent the views of The Diplomatic Insight. The organization does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content.
