China said in a policy statement issued in Shanghai Thursday
that the Chinese government attaches great importance to its
cooperation with the international community in poverty reduction
and actively supports the world's undertaking in alleviating and
eliminating poverty.
Poverty is a daunting issue for the whole world, particular
developing countries, said the Policy Statement by the Chinese
Government on Poverty Alleviation and Elimination issued by the
State Council Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and
Development.
The Chinese government supports international organizations and
bilateral institutions in having their support for the developing
countries in reducing poverty as their overarching objective and
important task, and will as always actively promote its cooperation
and exchanges with the rest of the world in poverty reduction, it
said.
It values and encourages the participation of the international
community including the NGOs, the private sector and volunteers in
China's poverty reduction and development.
Alleviating and eliminating poverty requires the joint efforts
of all countries in the world. While resorting to its own strength,
self-reliance and hard work for achieving the Millennium
Development Goals, the Chinese government, given the reality of its
development, actively supports other countries in their poverty
reduction endeavors.
It calls on the developed countries to increase their assistance
to their developing counterparts, expand trade ties, mutual
investment and actively pursue new types of North-South
cooperation.
China will exert its utmost efforts in gradually increasing its
development assistance for the poor countries, the statement
said.
It has decided to contribute US$30 million to the Asian
Development Fund (ADF) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB),
following the contribution of US$50 million to the African
Development Bank in 2002.
In addition, it has decided to commit US$20 million to
establishing a "China Special Fund for Poverty Reduction and
Regional Cooperation" in the ADB for poverty reduction and regional
cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chinese government will continue to play a constructive role
in the North-South dialogue, promote the establishment of a new
international economic order and make its contribution to the
global undertaking of alleviating and eliminating poverty, the
statement said.
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2004)