By Chang Xiang

Editor’s note:

Sudarat Keyuraphan,former Minister of Public Health and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand and current leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party,sat down withChina Report ASEANfor an interview.

She applauded the fruits of China’s development over the past decade and believes that China’s experience in poverty reduction is worth learning for Thailand.

Sudarat Keyuraphan

China’s development is not just impressive,but amazing.I have worked with government departments for more than 30 years,and I have seen that China has achieved leapfrog development.What impressed me most was the strong leadership at the core in the process of China’s development into a moderately prosperous society.

For me,the fruits of China’s development are more than just high-rise buildings and wellconnected transportation networks,but tangible improvement in the people’s living standards.Behind these achievements are concerted efforts from those from all walks of life under the leadership of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping.Thanks to targeted poverty alleviation measures,China has succeeded in lifting its people from extreme poverty.Led by the CPC,China has made remarkable progress in social development,and the overall wellbeing of the Chinese people has greatly improved,which is the achievement that amazed me most.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic,the Chinese government invited me to make an investigative tour of China,and I accepted.During my stay in China,I learned how the country increased farmers’ income and boosted the rural economy through measures such as improving product quality,expanding marketing channels,and promoting technology-backed deep processing of farm produce to increase the added value,as well as tax incentives and financial support.China’s success in fighting poverty provided a wealth of experience for the Thai Sang Thai Party as we now strive to lift the rural Thai population out of poverty.

In his report to the 20th CPC National Congress,Xi emphasized the Chinese path to modernization and the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all aspects,setting the course for China’s future development.The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Xi has injected new vitality into the world economy.Driven by China’s development,Asia is now welcoming a golden era.The BRI has not only improved connectivity within the Asia-Pacific region,but also brought Asia closer to the rest of the world.Implementation of the initiative has benefited other countries in Asia and the world.

I think Xi is a true leader.He is farsighted,broad-minded,and walks the talk,as was evidenced by the elimination of absolute poverty in China.The country has made carbon neutrality commitments and carried out concrete action.I was also impressed by Xi’s determination to combat corruption.During a trip to China,I attended several meetings on local governments’ anti-corruption efforts and I found their experience in this respect to be well worth learning.Xi has always underscored the importance of “putting the people first,” requiring the Party members to serve the people and civil servants to be loyal to the country and the people.As a result,the well-being of the Chinese people has been substantially enhanced over the past decade.

Convened in Beijing on October 16,the 20th CPC National Congress marked a milestone in the history of the CPC.I believe that the CPC will lead the Chinese people to new successes and make the country an outstanding example for other Asian countries in the fields of poverty alleviation,building a moderately prosperous society,and technological innovation.