China has lifted more than a billion people out of poverty

The Chinese embassy in Pretoria on September 26 celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic on 1 October 1949 with a gala event attended by more than 500 representatives from the South African government, business sector and media.

Ambassador Wu Peng gave the keynote address and Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamolko Kubayi, responded on behalf of the South African government.

In his address, Ambassador Wu highlighted how far China had progressed in the past 75 years lifting more than a billion people out of poverty into a state of shared prosperity.

“In 1949, China’s per capita national income was only 27 US dollars. Our economic output was less than 5% of the world’s total. In 2023, China’s per capita national income reached 13 000 US dollars and our economic output reached 17% of the world’s total. 70 years ago, China could not produce a single car.

Watches, bicycles, and sewing machines, nicknamed “the Big Three”, were all luxury items for quite a long time for the Chinese people. By 2023, China’s automobile production and sales both exceeded 30 million vehicles, and China’s “New Big Three” products, namely electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar cells combined, surpassed the milestone of one trillion yuan in the value of total exports,” Ambassador Wu said.

China’s progress over the past 75 years was not limited to material goods. Great strides were also made in educating the nation, so that China is now at the forefront of global technology with a Chinese spacecraft being the first to bring back samples from the “far side” of the moon.

“At the beginning of the founding of New China, 80% of the population were illiterate. By 2023, the average years of education for China’s new labour force was over 14 years. Each year, over 10 million students graduate from college in China,” Ambassador Wu noted.

China’s advance over the past 75 years has not only benefited its people, but the wealth has been shared with its partners around the world and China is the biggest trading partner with most African countries, including South Africa.

“The China that enjoys high-quality development and high-level opening up will bring more opportunities to countries around the world. We, Chinese people, will never take the wrong path of seeking hegemony when one becomes strong. We just want to enjoy a better life for ourselves.

China adheres to the path of peaceful development and regards building a community with a shared future for mankind as the lofty goal of China’s diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era,” Ambassador Wu added.

In particular, China has for decades sought to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties with the Global South with a special emphasis on common bonds with African countries.

“We have always viewed solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of our foreign policy. We are committed to being a reliable friend and sincere partner on African countries’ paths to development and revitalization.

Earlier this month, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was a great success, when Chinese and African leaders unanimously agreed to elevate the overall positioning of China-Africa relations to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, highlighting the mutual strategic importance of China and Africa to each other,” Ambassador Wu said.

Ambassador Wu highlighted the six-point proposition and 10 partnership actions in the next three years on China-Africa joint efforts to advance modernisation, both proposed by President Xi Jinping. Ambassador Wu also provided an in-depth summary of the spirit and outcomes of the Summit focusing on China-Africa cooperation in the next phase.

In the first half of this year, China imported US$17.3 billion of goods from South Africa, a year-on-year increase of 10.7%. More than 200 Chinese companies have invested or started businesses in South Africa, creating over 400 000 local jobs.

China is ready to further optimise the bilateral trade structure with South Africa, increase market access and expand the export of high value-added products from South Africa.

*Preuss is an Economist at Forecaster Ecosa

Cape Times