Recently, I read Out of Poverty by Xi Jinping, which sparked a strong interest in the strategies and methods adopted by the Chinese government in its poverty alleviation efforts. China, a country with a population of 1.5 billion, has successfully lifted more than 850 million people out of poverty. Xi’s book served as a catalyst for my deeper exploration of this achievement.
The Chinese government had pledged to eradicate extreme poverty by 2020. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic—which I personally view as a man-made phenomenon—significantly hindered the progress of many organizations around the world in achieving their goals at the beginning of the new decade. The pandemic plunged societies into fear and anxiety, with people wearing masks and daily life nearly coming to a standstill.
Nonetheless, I remain convinced that China is a country with unwavering dedication to its national goals, and its remarkable accomplishments stand as a testament to this steadfast spirit.
I recall seeing a video on YouTube showing President Xi Jinping visiting remote mountain villages in China. He spoke directly with poor families, sat in their homes, asked about their aspirations, tasted their food and water, and offered them hope. There was nothing artificial or performative about him, and I was deeply moved by his sincerity.
Through this book, I learned that China’s success in poverty alleviation hinged on two key strategies. The first was to transform people’s mindsets and eliminate what Xi described as a “poverty mentality”—the kind of mental inertia that keeps people trapped in slums due to family background or traditional customs.
If Papua New Guinea truly aims to eradicate poverty, this will be one of our greatest challenges.
The second strategy involved meticulous household-level documentation. China deployed community-based social workers to gather accurate, in-depth information about each household’s unique difficulties, allowing for targeted and traceable resource allocation.
The government created individual profiles for every household and assigned dedicated officials to help improve their living conditions. Some families faced health challenges, while others had educated members who were unemployed. That China could achieve this on the scale of a 1.5 billion population is nothing short of extraordinary.
After finishing Xi Jinping’s book, I believe that some of the strategies outlined have particular relevance to PNG’s current situation and deserve to be adapted to our national context.
I do not advocate for blindly copying China’s approach, but rather suggest we make adaptive adjustments based on PNG’s specific realities.
With this in mind, I propose three critical recommendations—currently under-implemented in PNG—that should be prioritized by policymakers when crafting poverty reduction strategies:
First, and most fundamental, is to change the public perception of poverty. As Xi noted (2016, p. 7), poverty reduction must begin by breaking the mental shackles of “poverty thinking.” In other words, we must believe in our capacity to overcome poverty—such belief is both a driving force and a source of motivation.
Second, is the effective use of existing resources in the fight against poverty. Poor regions often abound with agricultural assets—such as crops, forests, animals, and marine resources. Improving resource allocation efficiency is a key pathway out of poverty for any nation. Xi referred to this as the need for an “economic chorus” (Xi, 2026, pp. 11–12).
On this foundation, industrialization should be centered around agricultural resources, particularly through the development of agro-processing industries. This model demonstrates the deep interlinkage between agriculture and industry. When developing industrial strategies, agriculture should serve as the basis to drive industry, while industry in turn should support and enhance agriculture (Xi, 2016, p. 135).
Third, is mobilizing the masses and fostering effective leadership. Xi (2016, p. 17) emphasized that all levels of leadership must go among the people, understand their realities, and return to the people to implement solutions. He further highlighted five qualities essential for successful leadership: integrity, discipline, diligence, incorruptibility, and humility.
These qualities are vital in earning the people’s trust. Leaders must drive development with selflessness, rationality, and a scientific mindset.
Therefore, PNG should actively learn from China’s poverty reduction strategies. China’s approach—achieving coordination between social and economic development—ensured that poverty alleviation efforts were aligned with the sustainable use of national resources.
The Chinese government’s success in eliminating extreme poverty offers PNG a valuable source of inspiration. We must set clear development goals and leverage existing partnerships, transforming those relationships into action. China’s success carries significant meaning for the broader Pacific Islands region.
PNG must first establish a clear economic development path, with a strong focus on infrastructure development. Industrialization is key to growth and can be accelerated through the establishment of special economic zones that consolidate resources and generate employment.
In addition, nationwide access to education must be prioritized, alongside the development of innovative poverty reduction strategies. Many Pacific nations are now “looking east” because they recognize the tremendous learning opportunities available there.
China’s development model promotes holistic economic progress while emphasizing investment in health care, education, and social welfare.
To achieve results similar to China’s, PNG and other Pacific Island countries should draw from China’s strategic model, especially in expanding education, infrastructure, healthcare, and skills training.
China’s poverty alleviation strategy has proven to be a successful example of how to promote economic growth and improve people’s livelihoods. By formulating effective policies that prioritize poverty reduction, encourage inclusive growth, and address structural development barriers, countries can achieve long-term economic stability and lift millions out of poverty.
China’s socioeconomic achievements and its rise in global stature demonstrate that education and skills training are essential to strengthening human capital, enabling people to participate in the economy and gain access to better employment opportunities.
If countries can equip all their citizens with fundamental knowledge and skills, productivity will rise and people’s lives will improve.
This teaches us that in pursuing economic prosperity, we must not deepen the poverty of the poor, but instead strive for common prosperity.
Achieving this goal requires robust educational and healthcare infrastructure. It is crucial to bridge the urban–rural infrastructure gap, and this is where the central government must play a leading role. At the same time, we must recognize the importance of macroeconomic policies in maintaining economic stability.
PNG should draw strength from China’s successful poverty alleviation efforts. China achieved a “comprehensive victory” in 2021, meeting the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goal on poverty reduction a full ten years ahead of schedule.
This achievement should inspire PNG to pursue its own sustainable development goals. I firmly believe that PNG can benefit from China’s example, which is now serving as a source of motivation across the Pacific region.
The strong partnership between China and the Pacific Island nations makes such a development path both realistic and achievable.
China’s case offers important lessons for PNG. In order to eradicate poverty in island nations, PNG must adopt people-centered policies. For example, Rwanda implemented strategies similar to China’s, lifting over 1 million people out of poverty by focusing on human well-being.
In its poverty alleviation process, China tailored its strategies to its own national conditions—something PNG has yet to do. We have been too eager to imitate Western systems while neglecting locally grounded, practical solutions.
China’s success offers developing countries a new development model, breaking the myth that success can only come through Westernization. After enduring histories of colonization and invasion, both China and the Pacific Island nations have every reason to prove to the world that they too can eliminate poverty and backwardness.
This is a testament to self-reliance, and a demonstration of our ability to improve the lives of our people. Both goals are entirely within our reach.
About the Author:
Betty Gabriel Wakia is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science at Wuhan University of Technology in China. This article was originally published on www.researchgate.net.
MEET PNG Comment:
This article offers a personal and reflective analysis of Xi Jinping’s Out of Poverty and its relevance to Pacific Island nations—particularly Papua New Guinea. The author not only offers an insightful breakdown of China’s poverty alleviation strategies but also identifies three highly practical recommendations tailored to PNG’s national context: transforming poverty mindsets, improving resource allocation efficiency, and strengthening leadership. Her emphasis on adaptation over imitation is commendable. In the broader search for self-determined development among Global South countries, such grounded and comparative research is especially valuable, offering both a new perspective and real hope for PNG’s future policymaking.
