Experts highlight China’s emphasis on long-term policy continuity and sustained development efforts as key factors behind its poverty alleviation and broader growth achievements.

Zheng Changzhong, a professor at Fudan University, underscored the importance of ongoing commitment rather than short-term measures in addressing development challenges. Citing examples from Ningde, Xingtang, and the national poverty alleviation campaign, Zheng argued that successful governance requires policies that solve fundamental problems, establish durable foundations, and continue to benefit communities over time. He noted that this principle extends beyond poverty reduction to other sectors that demand strategic planning and steady implementation.

Echoing this perspective, Aisake Valu Eke, former prime minister of Tonga, described China’s feat of lifting nearly 100 million rural residents out of poverty as an extraordinary milestone. He attributed this success to a governance system where the Communist Party of China (CPC) formulates plans and strategies that are executed across multiple government levels, from provincial authorities down to village officials. Eke emphasized the role of grassroots data in informing development plans, alongside mechanisms for coordination, monitoring, and evaluation that sustain effective implementation.

The central role of China’s five-year planning system was highlighted by Nur Rachmat Yuliantoro, a professor of International Relations at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia. He identified the system’s focus on long-term strategic objectives and policy consistency as a fundamental characteristic of China’s development model. According to Yuliantoro, this approach enables China to simultaneously address immediate needs of its population while pursuing broader goals such as infrastructure expansion, technological innovation, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation. He described sustainability as a core element underlying this balance, adding that China’s experience offers valuable lessons for many countries, particularly in the Global South.

Nichita Iris Liga, member of the Executive Bureau of the Romanian Socialist Party, contrasted China’s approach with systems in countries where frequent changes in leadership and priorities can interrupt development trajectories. Liga pointed out that China’s planning framework extends beyond individual five-year periods and is connected to longer-term aspirations, including the second centenary goal of transforming China into a great modern socialist nation by mid-century.

Together, these assessments underscore China’s strategic dedication to policy continuity, systematic governance, and long-range development planning as critical drivers behind its socioeconomic progress.