China and Africa have historically grappled with poverty, a major obstacle to prosperity and development. While China has made remarkable progress, lifting more than 800 million people out of poverty over the past decades, Africa is still battling severe poverty and development challenges.

This raises two key questions: How did China achieve this in a relatively short period of time? And how can African countries draw lessons from China's experiences and adapt them to their own national conditions to accelerate poverty alleviation?

Africa's population is estimated at about 1.58 billion, exceeding the populations of China and India individually and representing roughly 19 percent of the global population.

The continent's population is projected to exceed 2.5 billion by 2050. Urbanization is also growing, with at least 52 cities on the continent having more than 1 million inhabitants, according to Worldometer and 2026 demographic data.

African governments must therefore plan carefully for sustainable urban development, including adequate housing, job creation, modern healthcare systems, efficient transportation networks, reliable electricity supplies to support industrialization, quality education for all and enhanced public safety.

Despite being endowed with vast natural resources — including critical minerals, arable land and abundant water — African nations continue to grapple with poverty decades after gaining independence from colonial rule. Colonialism disrupted local economic systems, eroded social cohesion and restructured state institutions across the continent, and the lingering impacts still shape Africa's development paths to this day.

Currently, more than 460 million Africans live in extreme poverty, representing roughly one-third of the continent's population, according to data from the World Bank. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 67 percent of the world's extreme poor, and in several countries the poverty rate exceeds 70 percent.

By 2019, an estimated 391 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lived in extreme poverty. By 2022, that figure had risen to about 460 million, and by 2024 it reached 464 million — an increase widely attributed to economic disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and ongoing regional fragility.

Africa's relative share of global income has also declined over the past two centuries. In 1820, the average European worker earned about three times more than the average African worker. Today, the average European earns about 20 times more. While per capita GDP in Africa has gradually increased, income levels still lag significantly behind other regions.

This situation is driven by high inequality, frequent conflicts, economic vulnerability, insufficient quality of education, underdeveloped infrastructure, climate change impacts and governance challenges.

Many countries that achieved rapid development, such as China, benefited from visionary leadership that prioritized national development and public welfare.

In Africa, while some national leaders have shown clear development ambitions, many governments still struggle to implement effective policies that can fundamentally improve people's livelihoods.

This raises a critical question: Why is it difficult for African policymakers and leaders to learn from China's experience in poverty alleviation? In my view, poverty remains the continent's most pressing challenge.

China's development success is partly rooted in sound governance, and reflected in zero tolerance for corruption and nepotism, as well as in discipline, hard work and national unity above ethnic and regional divisions.

In Africa, many wars and internal conflicts across the continent arise from the absence of these guiding principles, which are consistently upheld by China's top leadership and fully implemented across government institutions. If Africa can adopt and practice these core principles, it will be better positioned to achieve inclusive prosperity for all.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation provides an important platform for bilateral engagement. The summit offers African leaders opportunities to visit China and witness firsthand its rapid socioeconomic transformation, strong work ethic and culture of self-discipline and collective development.

China-Africa relations have grown stronger and more strategic over the past decades. Many African ruling parties maintain close ties with the Communist Party of China, and numerous African officials have participated in training programs in China focusing on leadership, governance and national development.

Such exchanges create valuable opportunities for African leaders to draw on China's development experience, particularly in poverty reduction, economic planning and infrastructure development.

One key lesson Africa can learn from China is the value of sound governance, political stability, strong political commitment to national development, and the ability to mobilize the whole society toward shared national goals.

In terms of poverty reduction, Africa must manage its rich natural resources more efficiently. Again, sound governance and political stability play an indispensable role. Peace is also a fundamental prerequisite for development; Africa can only achieve long-term development and prosperity in a peaceful environment. This enables policymakers to design and carry out effective anti-poverty programs.

China did not lift hundreds of millions out of absolute poverty overnight. Its achievement came from decades of consistent and long-term policy implementation. A vital lesson is that poverty alleviation must be a state-led, long-term strategy, carried out steadily regardless of changes in political leadership.

This requires firm political commitment from ruling parties and governments alike, with policies clearly communicated to the public to gain public understanding and support. China has adhered to this path consistently, sustaining steady development progress. Africa can achieve greater progress if it adopts and strictly implements such development principles.

The author is executive director of the Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies in South Sudan.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.