ADDIS ABABA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia and other African countries have been urged to learn from China's achievements in poverty alleviation as part of their efforts to drive economic development and lift millions out of poverty.
Ethiopian officials and experts emphasized that China's "unique" poverty alleviation model has helped lift people out of poverty through a combined approach of comprehensive socio-economic development initiatives as well as the development of the country's natural resources through a climate-friendly approach.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party said that a high-level delegation of senior Prosperity Party members is currently undertaking field observation in China, where they inspected China's poverty alleviation efforts and overall experience.
"The achievements of the Chinese government in reducing poverty serve as an instructive experience for Ethiopia," the statement quoted Addisu Arega, head of public and international relations in Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party, as saying after witnessing development activities in China.
The delegation underscored that China's commendable successes in poverty reduction, environmental development in transforming desert areas by coordinating the people, as well as successes registered in building national unity to accelerate development are some of the areas where the East African country can draw lessons from, according to the statement.
The delegation's observation was echoed by a senior Ethiopian scholar who is familiar with China's development.
Speaking to Xinhua recently, Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, said that Ethiopia, in particular, and the rest of African countries in general need to learn from China's approach in eradicating poverty.
Costantinos said that in order to emulate China's achievements in poverty alleviation, Ethiopia and other African countries can follow China's effective approach, mainly by incorporating development initiatives in education, healthcare, infrastructure development and skills training, among others.
"China's holistic approach to poverty alleviation is a proven model in creating a conducive environment for economic growth and improving the overall well-being of its population," he said.
The expert underscored that implementing effective policies that prioritize poverty alleviation, promote inclusive growth and address structural barriers to development can help create an enabling environment for sustainable economic growth, ultimately lifting millions of people out of poverty.
"The one thing that China's unprecedented socio-economic development and its rise as a global powerhouse can show us is that investing in human capital development through education and skills training programs can empower individuals to participate in the economy and access better job opportunities. By equipping the wider population with the necessary skills and knowledge, countries can enhance their productivity and the overall well-being of their people," he said. ■
