Wanda introduces target poverty alleviation model to rebuild entire county

Signing ceremony takes place
Liu Jiayi, Auditor General of the National Audit Office meets with Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin
Auditor General Liu Jiayi and Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin inspect project sites
Auditor General Liu Jiayi and Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin are warmly welcomed by locals.
Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin is interviewed by media.On 28 February, Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Wanda Group and Liu Jiayi, Auditor-General of the National Audit Office, visited Danzhai in Guizhou province together to promote Wanda Group’s poverty alleviation programme there. The programme involves a total investment of RMB1.4 billion, which includes the building of an RMB300 million Vocational and Technical Institute, an RMB600 million Tourist Town, and an RMB500 million Special Poverty Alleviation Fund for Danzhai. Wanda’s poverty alleviation efforts in Danzhai cover different areas including traditional industry, education, and charity funds, with short, medium and long-term results. It offers remedies targeting specific issues, and represents an innovative and targeted poverty alleviation model in China, with an aim to alleviate poverty throughout the entire poor population in Danzhai within two years. After all related programmes have commenced operation in 2017, the overall economy of Danzhai will experience significant change, sustainable development will be achieved, and the population will be permanently rid of poverty.

Danzhai is also one of the National Audit Office’s target counties for poverty alleviation. Liu Jiayi, Auditor-General of the National Audit Office, proposed to integrate poverty alleviation funds and resources, which will not only help Danzhai to be completely alleviated from poverty earlier, but also search for a brand new poverty alleviation model that could be promoted and replicated, while allowing all society to participate in it. On February 27, Liu Jiayi spearheaded the organization of a meeting on poverty alleviation that was attended all departments. He spoke highly of Wanda’s poverty alleviation in Danzhai. “Wanda poverty alleviation programme was based on in-depth research and made full use of its advantages to achieve actual targeted poverty alleviation”, he said. Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Wanda Group, commented on the targeted poverty alleviation model. “Wanda's poverty alleviation scheme in Danzhai isn't about gaining publicity and shouting slogans. It is a strongly targeted poverty alleviation scheme that focuses not only on building projects, but also handles operations and in addition to alleviate poverty, it also drives development and aims to deliver results.”

In December 2014, witnessed by the Poverty Alleviation Office of the State Council and the Provincial Party Committee under the Guizhou Provincial Government, Wanda Group and Danzhai County signed a Poverty Alleviation Agreement. At the initial phase, it was decided that RMB1 billion would be contributed to implement the innovative poverty alleviation model of “county-wide industry development, complete poverty alleviation”. To ensure poverty alleviation effort serves real needs and achieves visible results, Wanda takes on the project seriously, with Chairman Wang Jianlin visiting Danzhai personally to study the situation, calling numerous specific meetings to implement and facilitate the poverty alleviation initiatives. A dedicated poverty alleviation leadership team headed by the Senior Vice President of Wanda Group has been set up, with relevant key professional personnel deployed, and key experts in poverty alleviation invited to join the team. The team has visited Danzhai more than 10 times to assess the situation at a local level and develop poverty alleviation programmes. Wanda has repeatedly made adjustments to these programmes beginning with a swine farming and processing plant, as well as tea and rice processing plants. Three programmes were finally chosen - a vocational and technical institute, tourist town, and special poverty alleviation fund and the combined amount of funding for these projects was raised to RMB1.4 billion. The vocational and technical institute is aimed at providing education and benefit locals in the long run, the tourist town will benefit the while community in the mid-term, while the special poverty alleviation fund will provide instant funds for poverty alleviation in the community.

The Danzhai Vocational and Technical Institute will comprise a total gross area of 50,000 square meters, and will be able to accommodate 2,000 students. Facilities available at the institute will be of the same high quality as other domestic vocational colleges and the school is scheduled for completion on June 2017, opening for its first term in September. To ensure the quality of the construction of the Danzhai Vocational and Technical Institute, Wanda has chosen China State Construction (CSCEC) as the contractor, and requests that both Wanda, which plays a part in the construction of the Institute, and the construction unit sign a lifetime quality commitment agreement. The specialties of the Danzhai Vocational and Technical Institute are designed based on the needs of Wanda and Danzhai. Students will be primarily recruited from the ethnic Danzhai population, and 50% of the graduates who are outstanding performers will be hired to work at Wanda each year, as employment is the fundamental way out of poverty: one employed person will help alleviate the entire family from poverty. Wanda’s vocational and technical institute will provide the talent pool to support poverty alleviation in Danzhai in the long run.

The concept of a tourist town is a major innovation in Wanda’s poverty alleviation effort. The development is located in the scenic area of the East Lake in Danzhai, with an area of 400 acres. RMB600 million will be invested during phase one, which covers a gross area of 50,000 square meters, and Miao village style architecture will be built. Supporting facilities include a 3-star hotel, a multiplex cinema, and children’s recreational facilities. Handicrafts with ethnic Miao characteristics, Miao delicacies, and Miao medical treatment and medicines will be brought in, providing a one-stop Miao cultural experience to visitors. The tourist town is expected to be completed in June 2017, and Wanda, leveraging its own advantages as China’s largest tourism company, will support the operation of the tourist town for three years in order to build up its name as a unique ethnic travel destination that will spearhead the growth of Danzhai. More importantly, not only will the tourist town create economic benefits, it is also expected to generate 2,000-3,000 additional permanent jobs, significantly alleviating Danzhai County’s employment issues.

The size of Wanda’s special poverty alleviation fund is RMB500 million, and is managed by Wanda Investment Company, offering guaranteed earnings of RMB50 million per year. The funds will be distributed freely to the 10,000 population under the special poverty group, who are orphaned, handicapped, or suffering from serious illnesses, and are unable to benefit from the poverty-alleviating industries.

With the combined results of the three measures mentioned above, Danzhai County will achieve overall poverty alleviation in 2016, and Wanda’s new poverty alleviation model will achieve re