Not An Outsider EP11 | US reporter: China's poverty-alleviation miracle impossible without efforts of grassroots cadres

Erik Nilsson, a 39-year-old American writer and journalist, has traveled to almost every province in mainland China during his 16 years of living in the country, setting his feet on the most remote areas to cover topics on poverty alleviation, disaster relief, and livelihood development. His videos have gained hundreds of millions of views on various platforms.

"The nationwide poverty-alleviation miracle in China would not be possible without the contributions of countless local Party officials at the grassroots level. They worked on the front line of poverty alleviation, some helping farmers to do live streaming and e-commerce to increase their income and some reforming the farming mode, which not only conserved the ecological environment, but also helped farmers achieve sustainable income growth," he wrote.

Nilsson documented in detail his immersion in China's poverty alleviation miracles. He once spent five weeks covering the living conditions in 11 cities along the Yangtze River economic zone, which stretches over thousands of kilometers. From a young man who first came to China in 2005, to a senior journalist affectionately called "American brother" by Chinese people, his in-depth reporting on China over the past decade or so has allowed him to witness how the people of this vast land have been lifted out of poverty step by step.

Because of his exemplary journalistic works and volunteering stints, in 2006, Nilsson was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award, the highest honor that can be conferred to foreigners who have contributed to China's development. He was also the youngest foreign recipient of the award.

"I hope to continue to live in China in the coming years and continue to witness and tell China's story," he said.