Research On The Construction Of Identification Standard System For Relative Poverty In China

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19 th Communist Party of China Central Committee clearly proposed the goal and task of "resolutely winning the battle against poverty,consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation,and establishing a long-term mechanism for solving relative poverty." In 2020,China successfully won the battle against poverty on schedule and is now committed to further consolidating and expanding this achievement.At the same time,it actively promotes the establishment and improvement of long-term mechanisms for solving relative poverty.Currently,the construction of a scientific and rational system of identification standards for relative poverty that is in line with China’s reality is one of the key and core issues in the establishment and improvement of mechanisms for governing relative poverty.Although China has entered the stage of relative poverty governance,the identification standards for relative poverty are still unclear.This will become a major obstacle to improving China’s level and capacity for relative poverty governance,and will also hinder the process of achieving common prosperity and socialist modernization.Therefore,the construction of an identification standard system for relative poverty is of great importance and urgency.In order to construct a scientific and reasonable identification standard system for relative poverty that is in line with China’s reality,this article puts forward a comprehensive and systematic research framework.Firstly,this article summarizes relevant research achievements,defines core concepts,and comprehensively analyzes the objects,scope,characteristics,causes,and governance goals of relative poverty in China based on the theories of relative poverty,multidimensional poverty,and sustainable livelihood poverty.Based on this,an exploratory theoretical analysis framework for identifying relative poverty in China is constructed from the relative perspective,multidimensional perspective,and capital perspective.Secondly,this article analyzes and proposes the framework for constructing the standard system for identifying relative poverty in China from the perspectives of content and form.This framework mainly uses income-based relative poverty standards for urban and rural areas,supplemented by other multidimensional poverty standards applicable to both urban and rural areas.On this basis,the setting of construction principles and selection of construction methods are discussed.Subsequently,this article conducts a preliminary calculation of urban-rural income-based relative poverty standards using the expanded linear expenditure method in Jiangsu,Jiangxi,and Shaanxi provinces as representatives.Based on a comparison with different bases(national per capita disposable income and median,urban per capita disposable income and median,and rural per capita disposable income and median)and combined with factors such as China’s poverty governance status,economic development level,and current income distribution status,the selection of the base and ratio for setting income-based relative poverty standards in urban and rural areas using income proportion method is determined.Meanwhile,guided by Marxist poverty theory and relying on the theories of sustainable livelihood poverty and multidimensional poverty,together with relevant policies,literature research materials,and primary statistical indicators in databases,this article constructs a specific multidimensional poverty indicator system for China.Finally,this article deeply analyzes the application effect and limitations of the standard system and puts forward some valuable conclusions and policy inspirations.The research conclusions of this paper can be summarized in four aspects:(1)Construction framework of relative poverty identification standards in China.The current construction framework of relative poverty identification standards in China should focus on the standard of relative poverty based on urban and rural income,while also considering other multidimensional poverty standards that are unified for urban and rural areas,which is consistent with the reality of China.This construction framework follows the approach of "setting a one-dimensional benchmark and identifying poverty through multiple dimensions" during the poverty alleviation period,but it should consider differences in specific benchmarking standards,dimension selection,and judgment criteria from this period.Through steadily and effectively consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation,this construction framework is expected to achieve effective connection and promotion from absolute poverty to relative poverty.(2)Setting of relative poverty standards for income in China.In the early stages of governance of relative poverty in China,the standards for relative poverty of urban and rural income were set at 31% and 27%,respectively,based on the median per capita disposable income of national residents.With the development of the economy and society and the improvement of residents’ living standards,the standards for urban and rural income relative poverty should be gradually adjusted in subsequent stages.Specifically,the standard for urban income relative poverty should be adjusted to be close to 47% of the median per capita disposable income of national residents,and the standard for rural income relative poverty should be adjusted to be close to41% of the median per capita disposable income of national residents.The contributions of this standard setting mainly include the following three aspects: First,converting the results obtained by the initial estimate from the expanded linear expenditure method into results set by the internationally commonly used income ratio method provides a certain basis and support for China’s future adoption of the income ratio method to set relative poverty standards for income.At the same time,it makes up for the defects in the current subjective arbitrariness,strong empiricism,and insufficiently unified selection of base numbers in the setting of ratios.Second,the specific situation and adjustment direction of the income relative poverty standards required in the early stage and subsequent stages of the governance of relative poverty in China have been determined according to research results.Third,the results of the setting are more consistent with China’s actual situation and more matched with its financial level,which avoids the problems of setting standards too high that would result in an increase in the scale of the relative poverty population and increased fiscal pressure,and setting standards too low that would lose their significance.Moreover,the income relative poverty standard set according to China’s national conditions and financial level can help achieve an effective connection from the absolute poverty standard to the relative poverty standard,and promote a smooth transition from absolute poverty to relative poverty.In summary,the setting of this standard makes China’s income relative poverty standard more scientific and accurate,and helps promote the governance of the issue of relative poverty.(3)The Setting of Other Multidimensional Poverty Standards in China.This paper constructs a multidimensional poverty index system including five dimensions:human capital,material capital,environmental capital,social capital and financial capital.The system comprises 15 second-level indicators(such as education,health and employment)and 22 third-level indicators(such as average years of education for the labor force and average expected years of education for students).The index system includes the dimension layer,second-level and third-level indicator layer,indicator interpretation,critical value and its setting basis,measurement standards,and indicator weights.By improving and enriching the content of the index system and quantifying and optimizing specific indicator designs,the multidimensional poverty index system constructed in this study serves as a useful supplement to China’s income relative poverty standards.The index system can not only greatly expand the identification dimensions of China’s relative poverty and improve the accuracy of identifying relative poverty in China,but also further enhance China’s relative poverty governance level and governance capacity,thereby improving people’s quality of life.In addition,the application of the index system can help promote the resolution of major social contradictions,achieve the goals and tasks of common prosperity and socialist modernization construction.(4)Application of the Constructed Relative Poverty Identification Standard System.The application of the standard system mainly includes three aspects:improving the objectivity and accuracy of identifying China’s relative poverty population,promoting a smooth and effective transition from absolute poverty to relative poverty,and advancing the development of digital poverty alleviation.However,the degree to which its application effects can be exerted is affected by two limitations: incomplete poverty alleviation-related statistical indicators and distorted statistical data,and low degree of information sharing among relevant departments.Therefore,China needs to take a series of measures,including but not limited to improving statistical indicators related to relative poverty identification and governance,adopting new technologies and methods,strengthening the professional competence and occupational qualities of poverty identification personnel,promoting relevant departments to achieve information sharing,and gradually realizing a poverty identification mechanism of "system automatic identification as the main method and manual supplementation as the auxiliary method." These measures can help improve the accuracy and timeliness of poverty identification in China,save poverty identification costs,and better promote the development of China’s poverty alleviation cause.