In push to eradicate poverty there will be no retreat

The success of China's campaign to lift the living standards of its people, unmatched by any other country, can be chalked up as a human rights triumph, British economist says

Editor's note: As China aims to eliminate extreme poverty and be a "moderately prosperous society" (xiaokang shehui) in time for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China next year, we talk to experts for their take on the country's commitment.

Lifting more than 850 million people out of poverty, as defined by the World Bank, is China's greatest contribution to global human rights, says John Ross.

"No one who is in poverty has real choices in life, no one in poverty is really free," Ross, who is a senior fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, said.