China has successfully implemented a sophisticated poverty prevention mechanism during its five-year transition period following the historic eradication of extreme poverty in 2020. President Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized the critical importance of maintaining robust safety nets across rural communities to prevent any large-scale regression into poverty conditions.
During his inspection tour of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces in March 2025, President Xi articulated that while China’s development focus has shifted toward quality growth, rural development priorities must remain undiminished. “The safety net for those lifted out of poverty must be as solid as a fortress,” Xi declared, underscoring the government’s commitment to preventing any significant backsliding.
The precision approach builds upon the “targeted poverty alleviation” concept first introduced by President Xi during his 2013 visit to Shibadong village in Hunan province. This methodology emphasizes granular identification of at-risk households, customized assistance programs, and meticulous progress tracking.
According to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs data, monitoring systems have identified over 7 million vulnerable individuals during the transition period, each receiving tailored support interventions. The strategy employs multi-dimensional assessment criteria including industrial development stability, employment consistency, and education/medical expense burdens.
In practical implementation, Hunan province has pioneered “door-knocking actions” where officials conduct household-by-household need assessments simultaneously with a sophisticated data cross-referencing platform that integrates information from 14 governmental departments. This system automatically generates early warnings when households encounter significant medical expenses or other risk factors.
The case of Jiuguanping village exemplifies the successful application of these measures. Village Party secretary Zhang Nanbei reported that nine households required monitoring, with five still classified as at-risk. Support mechanisms include public welfare employment opportunities generating approximately 7,800 yuan annually, state subsidies of 630 yuan monthly for elderly residents, and comprehensive medical coverage.
Beyond safety nets, sustainability derives from industrial development. Hunan allocated 600 million yuan to establish six specialized industrial clusters encompassing citrus, vegetables, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine herbs. Nationwide, all 832 previously designated impoverished counties have cultivated distinctive leading industries with combined output exceeding 1.7 trillion yuan.
Professor Wang Sangui of Renmin University’s China Poverty Alleviation Research Institute emphasizes that as China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the focus should shift from campaign-style interventions toward institutionalized support mechanisms. “Common prosperity is a long-term process that cannot rely on extraordinary measures but must be built on sustainable systems,” Wang noted, advocating for unified monitoring systems and enhanced benefit-sharing arrangements that integrate farmers more comprehensively into industrial value chains.