The 19th Communist Party of China National Congress will convene in Beijing on Oct 18. The Congress will review the Party’s work over the past five years, discuss and set the future direction for the Party and the nation, as well as elect a new central leadership.

As all eyes are on the upcoming Congress, let’s take a look at what international media said about the developments and achievements of China.

A photo taken on June 14, 2017 shows a poverty alleviation relocation site in Leibo county, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Poverty relief

An ambitious poverty reduction campaign is seeking to change this, ensuring by 2020 that no one is living in poverty — defined by the government as less than 2,300 yuan ($349) a year.

China has lifted hundreds of millions of its citizens out of poverty over the past few decades, but doing the same for groups like the Yi poses a different set of challenges.

From road building to subsidies, the central government has spent large amounts of money on poverty relief in places like Liangshan.

— Reuters: “China’s ethnic Yi struggle against poverty” (Aug 10, 2017)

China lifted 13.91 million people out of poverty each year from 2012 to 2016, according to a report from the State Council on Aug 29. Similarly, the annual per capita income in impoverished rural areas has grown to 10.7 percent every year.

About 775,000 officials have been sent to impoverished areas for poverty relief work, said the report.

China has set 2020 as the target year to complete the building of a “moderately prosperous society,” which requires the eradication of poverty. To achieve the target, China needs to bring more than 10 million people out of poverty every year, meaning nearly one million people per month or 20 people per minute.

— The Nigerian Expression: “China lifts 13.9 million people out of poverty each year” (Aug 29, 2017)

Students of Zambia perform at a reception held by the Chinese embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug 25, 2017, after studying in China. All these students received Chinese Government Scholarship.[Photo/Xinhua]

Education

The surge in the number of African students in China is remarkable. In less than 15 years the African student body has grown 26-fold — from just under 2,000 in 2003 to almost 50,000 in 2015.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the US and UK host around 40,000 African students a year. China surpassed this number in 2014, making it the second most popular destination for African students studying abroad, after France which hosts just over 95,000 students.

African students in France overwhelmingly come from francophone West Africa. If Tsinghua’s profile holds true for the larger African student body in China, it means China is an increasingly important player in the education of countries outside of West Africa.

— CNN: “Why African students are ditching the US for China” (June 29, 2017)