In recent years China has achieved impressive economic growth, and also made remarkable progress in human development. However, contemporary China is still faced with the great challenge of widespread poverty. This not only constitutes a barrier against China’s pursuit of sustainable economic growth, but also poses a potential threat to China’s attempts to construct a harmonious society in the future. This book, written by three renowned poverty-reduction experts under the aegis of the China Development Research Foundation - one of China’s leading think-tanks - and drawing on the research of over twenty of China’s top scholars in this field, examines China’s efforts to eliminate poverty through development. It analyses all of the key issues, providing a review of China’s past record in poverty alleviation, comparing this with the experiences of other countries, identifying the new characteristics and trends in poverty in recent years, and discussing the factors responsible. It assesses the objectives and success of the poverty alleviation policies adopted by the Chinese government in a comprehensive way, and puts forward suggestions for policy makers. Overall, this book is a valuable account of China’s own thinking on its problems of poverty, and the best ways to tackle it and achieve sustainable economic development.

National Economic Research Institute, China Reform Foundation, China Beijing Normal University, China Renmin University of China