Commenting on China’s goal to end poverty by 2020, SMU Associate Professor of Political Science John Donaldson said, “Local leaders are taking it extremely seriously, almost in a panicky way. Part of the problem is that they don't know really what to do, so they're kind of grasping at different solutions," The dream of eradicating widespread poverty in China did not begin with Xi Jinping. It dates back to the Communist Party's rise to power in 1949. "The reason for the existence of the Chinese Communist Party in the beginning is because of injustice and poverty among farmers," said Assoc Prof Donaldson.