Commentary The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media repeatedly reported last month that the goal of alleviating poverty in 2020 has been reached. The CCP’s spokesperson called it a contribution to the world—a small praise that Party leader Xi Jinping needs at this time in order to maintain his authority while facing pressures both at home and abroad. Poverty Alleviation in Guizhou Province Local officials in Guizhou Province announced on Nov. 23, 2020 that the last nine impoverished counties they identified in 2019 were lifted out of poverty. Beijing’s mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency reported that Li Jian, director of Guizhou’s poverty alleviation and development office, said at a press briefing, “The average annual net income of impoverished people in these nine counties has risen to 11,487 yuan, well above the 4,000 yuan national poverty line set this year, also 1,562 yuan [about $234] higher than the per capita net income of …