[Republic of Korea] Kim Sewoo, Qingdao University
It’s said in The Book of Songs: “Oh, our people are exhausted, Would they have but a little respite! Treat the middle kingdom with kindness, Then peace will reign in all the lands.” In Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of Guanzi and Yanzi, it is thus written: “When the granaries are full, the people follow appropriate rules of conduct, and when there is enough to eat and wear, the people know honor and shame.” Book of Historical Documents: The Songs of the Five Sons says, “The people are the root of a country; The root firm, the country is tranquil.”
Since ancient times, the livelihood of the people has always been a commonplace topic and the most important concern of the wise rulers as well.
The saying that “The country is based on the people, to whom food is of supreme importance” is more like an unchanging truth, which has been carried out through China’s scientific development. From “The first rich lead the others and walk on the road of prosperity together” to “Open a door for the masses to get rid of poverty and become rich”, China’s national leaders have always been concerned about the people and their livelihood.
Targeted Poverty Alleviation
As an international student in China, I learned in my China overview class that the topography of China is high in the west and low in the east. The topography, climate, traffic and other conditions in the western regions are relatively poorer for economic development, which started much later. All factors combined led to the backward development of the western regions.
After the Reform and Opening-up, the problem of unbalanced development between the east and west has become increasingly prominent. Therefore, there came into being the system of east-west collaboration in poverty alleviation.
Chinese traditional medicine features observing, listening, interrogating and pulse-taking and prescribing medicine according to the case. Poverty is like disease to the development of the country, and the targeted poverty alleviation is just like prescribing medicine according to the case, aiming at implementing targeted poverty assistance and targeted poverty alleviation according to different regional environments of different poor regions and different situations of different poor farmers.
As we all know, how much water a barrel can hold does not depend on the longest piece of wood, but on the shortest, which is the well-known “barrel effect.” The rich people at the top of the pyramid are ultimately a minority, and no matter how rich they are, they cannot represent the country’s wealth. In the end, the people at the basis are the foundation, strength, and source of the country. After all, common prosperity is wealth for everyone, and not for several.
Assist the Poor by Helping Build Determination and Cultivating Wisdom
“To assist the poor, help build their determination first; to assist the poor, it is necessary to cultivate their wisdom. Poverty is not to be feared. What is fearful is lazy thoughts. People must have the determination to win over poverty and the wisdom to win as well. Children should be the last to endure suffering. Education should be the last to endure poverty.”
I chanced upon a female principal on TikTok, who physically practices what it means to make the road of education go further with a loving heart – she is the principal of Huaping Girls’ High School, Zhang Guimei. The school specializes in providing education for girls of poor families, so that they can walk out of the mountains, have a better life and become independent women.
Mrs. Zhang has been fighting on the front line of education all her life. But she is losing her health with diseases. Even in this case, she was reluctant to spend money on medication. She eats simple food every day and has given everything she has to the students. In order to let the children in the mountains have enough food to eat, warm clothes to wear and books to read, she has devoted her whole life. She has explained the essence of education in practice. She is a “living role model” for other teachers and students.
It is said that many universities and educational institutions have “international students in China assisting education” programs. This not only provides the children in poor areas with the opportunity to understand the world inside school, but also provides the international students in China with the opportunity to deeply understand China from another perspective. This not only promotes the cultural exchange between China and other countries, but also adds an international dimension to poverty alleviation and intellectual development.
Assist Africa, Display a Major Power’s Responsibility
As a responsible power, China has also played a pivotal role on the international poverty alleviation stage. China’s development is not based on invasion and colonization, but on peaceful coexistence with other countries.
Most countries in Africa are poor and chaotic due to historical and environmental reasons. China has sincerely tried its best to assist and promote the economic development of African countries without any additional political conditions. Under the gloom of the pandemic, China has also shown its sense of responsibility as a great power, and the pace of its medical teams in Africa has not been interrupted by the pandemic.
Economic globalization is the trend of the times. Be it politics, economy, or culture, everything in the world is connected and one move affects all. The value of “A community with a shared future for mankind” is gradually achieving international consensus. China was also once a war-torn country with enough vicissitudes. After becoming a rising star, China has been so considerate that it has provided support and assistance to Africa in many aspects. As an international student, I feel lucky that I am receiving education in such a peace-loving country with a great sense of responsibility.
If poverty is a deep-rooted disease, then targeted poverty alleviation is an effective cure to the disease; if poverty is a lifeless desert, then poverty alleviation and intellectual assistance is a lush oasis; if poverty is a high wall that hinders development, then the aid program for Africa is a thunderous and unstoppable hammer.
As an international student from Korea, I was touched by the poverty alleviation work in China that I heard or saw during my study in China. I marveled at the all-round victory that China has achieved in the battle against poverty during my study in China. And I am fortunate to have encountered a China that bears the responsibility of a great power during my study in the country.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
