China’s practices in poverty reduction offer valuable lessons: executive director of Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy Center

Editor's note: Foreign assistance in human resources development cooperation has been a key practice of China's efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity. By unreservedly sharing advanced technologies, management experience, and development concepts, China has provided substantial intellectual support for the development of the Global South.

Over the past five years, under the framework of the foreign aid human resources development cooperation program, China has trained thousands of professionals for Uzbekistan in fields such as poverty reduction, agriculture, public administration, entrepreneurship, economy and finance, and energy, making significant contributions to Uzbekistan's reform and development.

Eldor Tulyakov, executive director of the Development Strategy Center of Uzbekistan, lauded Chinese training programs for their positive role in helping Uzbekistan advance its poverty reduction efforts and fostering the country's sustainable development and social progress.

Uzbekistan has actively drawn on China's successful experiences in reducing rural poverty, boosting employment, and increasing income to promote sustainable development and social progress.

Agriculture, accounting for a large share of Uzbekistan's gross domestic product, has been a critical sector for the country's economy and the livelihoods of its people. Since most of Uzbekistan's impoverished population resides in rural areas, the country's poverty alleviation efforts have been interwoven with its agricultural reform. Facing challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and soil salinization, Uzbekistan has proactively learned from China's proven approaches to reducing rural poverty and boosting employment and income to drive sustainable development and social progress.

Chinese modernization features a people-centered approach. China has historically addressed absolute poverty while assisting other developing countries in achieving self-reliant development and finding their own paths to poverty reduction based on their national conditions, which marks a significant contribution to global poverty alleviation. A key factor in China's success in poverty alleviation lies in mobilizing nationwide participation, which involves government departments, social organizations, private organization, and the general public. For instance, China's campaign of "10,000 Enterprises Helping 10,000 Villages" has encouraged private enterprises to actively fulfill their social responsibilities in poverty reduction, offering significant insights for Uzbekistan.

Furthermore, technological advancements in agriculture have significantly bolstered Chinese agricultural productivity. Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries are now adopting China's agricultural technologies, such as drones and drip irrigation systems.

Cooperation between Uzbek and Chinese institutions has yielded fruitful results, with increasing training and exchange programs. For example, the Samarkand State University and the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences are collaborating on testing projects for high-yield, stress-resistant cotton and wheat varieties. The project, which will be conducted on 20 hectares of land in Samarkand, plans to test Chinese high-yield, disease-resistant, pest-resistant, and salt-tolerant cotton and wheat varieties with technologies from both countries. Additionally, 15 young scientists and researchers from the Samarkand State University will have the opportunity to receive training at the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences on cotton and wheat breeding and seed production.

Cooperation in poverty reduction between China and Uzbekistan has strengthened bilateral ties at both governmental and non-governmental levels, fostering a closer friendship between the two countries. The ongoing cooperation on poverty reduction training programs has become a vital link in fostering people-to-people bonds between the two countries. In recent years, China's training of numerous professionals for Uzbekistan has substantially contributed to the latter's reform and development.

Over the past five years, thousands of Uzbek civil servants have participated in advanced training programs in China, covering areas such as poverty reduction, agriculture, public administration, entrepreneurship, economy and finance, and energy. These programs have not only supported Uzbekistan's poverty alleviation but also facilitated its agricultural modernization.

Assisted by Chinese experts, 18 targeted poverty reduction projects have been launched across 14 regions in Uzbekistan. China's experience in targeted poverty alleviation shared by the Chinese experts has helped Uzbekistan advance its socioeconomic reforms tailored to its distinct circumstances.

Cooperation in poverty reduction between China and Uzbekistan has not only strengthened bilateral relations but also contributed to sustainable development and improved people's well-being. Moving forward, the two countries are expected to deepen cooperation in poverty reduction, achieving more positive results and building a promising future.