The Shibadong Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development was held in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture on November 3, 2023.

Shibadong Village in Huayuan County, Xiangxi Prefecture, inked an agreement of intent to establish "International Sister Villages" relationship with Tingsong Village of Luang Probang City, Luang Prabang Province, Laos, at the forum.

The two villages agreed to establish an exchange visit mechanism, based on which they will carry out regular friendly exchanges and visits via both's online and offline channels; organize various activities, such as investigational visits, meetings and symposiums, and trainings; and, discuss collaboration affairs. Constant efforts will be made to promote bilateral "sisterhood" and enhance the cooperation efficiency.

The two villages will share their respective experiences in poverty eradication and rural revitalization, based on their respective positions in their countries' poverty eradication and rural revitalization practices. They will do their utmost to help each other in the fields of industrial development, countryside construction, grass-roots governance, and specialty products marketing. Moreover, relying on the "people-to-people connectivity" concept in the Belt and Road Initiative, they will join hands to create a village sample for the development of international exchanges and cooperation, and a village benchmark for the advancement of rural revitalization.

Shibadong Village is the birthplace of China's "targeted poverty alleviation". Over the past decade, the village has leveraged its geographical advantages to develop its industries, and formed several featured industries such as countryside tourism, yellow peaches, kiwi fruit, Miao embroidery, and mountain spring water. These have increased the per capita income of the villagers from 1,688 yuan in 2013 to 23,505 yuan in 2022, and cultivated a collective economy which reached 3.8 million yuan in 2022. Shibadong Village has become a landmark to showcase China's achievements and experiences in poverty alleviation.

This forum was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, and the Hunan Provincial Rural Revitalization Bureau.