Policymakers’ corner: Poverty alleviation strategies in China: Evolution from an area-based to targeted strategy

Over the past four decades, China has successfully eradicated extreme poverty through a series of government-led anti-poverty strategies. This paper examines the evolution of the country’s “area-based” to “targeted” poverty alleviation strategy, keeping up with the changing circumstances of economic development and poverty situation. The experience of China shows that despite various challenges for a large developing country, poverty reduction is achievable through policy commitments and institutional coordination, adaptation to circumstances, developmentoriented policy measures, and mobilization of societal and financial resources.