CHINESE President Xi Jinping presided over an awards ceremony for champions of its poverty eradication effort today as he declared “complete victory” over destitution in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

China announced that it had eliminated absolute poverty in December, enabling it to meet its “first centenary goal,” which is to establish “a moderately prosperous society in all respects” by the centenary of the foundation of the Chinese Communist Party this summer.

It then embarks on its “second centenary goal,” to have built “a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious” by the centenary of the establishment of the People’s Republic in 2049.

China has been responsible for approximately 70 per cent of all global poverty reduction over the last 40 years, lifting more than 700 million people out of poverty. A final effort since 2014 identified almost 100 million people in 832 counties in 22 provinces as poverty-stricken and directed 1.6 trillion yuan (£175 billion) at developing these areas, despatching hundreds of thousands of Communist Party activists to lead local efforts.

Towns and enterprises in richer coastal provinces were twinned with poor areas and asked to create partnership schemes for new local enterprises whose products would be bought by the partner. Massive road-building and power-grid expansion also took place.

Awards were given to 1,980 individuals and more than 1,500 collective units, with 10 of each personally presented with the awards by Mr Xi today. 

They had achieved a “miracle” in ending poverty in the world’s largest country, he said, adding: “Shaking off poverty is not the finish line, but the starting point of a new life.”