The signing ceremony of memorandum of understanding on establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is held in Beijing, Oct 24 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Rather than how much funds it will provide, China's leading role in the global fight against poverty should be defined in terms of how many hands-on experience it can pass on to other developing countries to help them meet their development challenges and alleviate poverty in the process.

In New York, where world leaders had gathered for the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping's pledge of billions of dollars in aid and debt forgiveness for the poorest nations was surely welcome.

It was a clear sign that China, the largest developing country that has lifted as many as 439 million people out of poverty since launching reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, is assuming a greater global role and more actively helping the international community to achieve the new development goals, especially the goal to end extreme poverty by 2030.

However, far more important is its promise to make available to other developing countries in the next five years 100 poverty reduction programs, 100 agricultural cooperation projects, 100 trade promotion and aid programs, 100 environmental protection and climate change programs, 100 hospitals and clinics, and 100 schools and vocational training centers.

By helping other developing countries, China intends to become a source of inspiration and practical knowledge in their battle against poverty.

The remarkable progress China has made in reducing poverty and its continuous efforts to explore growth potentials should encourage other poor nations to face up to their development challenges. These countries can learn from China's efforts to seek a development path of its choice and with its unique characteristics.

To win the global war against poverty, the international community has the urgent duty, as does China, to help the developing countries find the key that matches each one's lock.