Beijing, April 13, 2006 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Asian Development Bank (ASX: ATB) will support implementation of the 11th Five-Year Program of the PRC through strengthened lending and technical assistance, ADB Vice President C. Lawrence Greenwood, Jr. said in Beijing today.
"In addition to continued robust lending operations, ADB plans to further strengthen the development knowledge expertise that provides the PRC to meet the nation's evolving development needs," he said.
Mr. Greenwood arrived in Beijing yesterday for a four-day visit, which will include meetings with high-level government officials and a field visit to Jiangxi Province. This is his first official visit to the PRC since joining the ADB on 28 February 2006.
He applauded the PRC Government's determination to adopt a more balanced and people-centered development strategy in the country's 11th Five-Year Program for Social and Economic Development (2006-2010), and pledged ADB's assistance to help the PRC achieve that goal.
"As the PRC expands efforts in emerging priority areas such as agriculture and rural development, energy conservation, environmental protection, urban and social sector development, financial reforms, and regional cooperation, ADB stands ready to mobilize its substantial experience in the PRC and the region in these and other areas," Mr. Greenwood said. "ADB is a ready partner in the PRC's achievement of a balanced society".
On Friday, Mr. Greenwood will travel to Jiangxi Province to meet senior national and provincial government officials to discuss ADB's assistance. He will also visit the site of the ADB-financed Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Waste project and attend a roundtable discussion with representatives of selected nongovernment organizations (NGOs), local officials, and villagers involved in a path-breaking pilot project on NGO-government partnerships in village-level poverty alleviation.
Jiangxi is one of the less developed provinces in the PRC's central region. With its mountainous geography, persistent pockets of poverty remain in Jiangxi, with roughly 800,000 people living below the national poverty line. Recently, ADB shifted more than two-thirds of its lending to the PRC's central and western regions. In Jiangxi, ADB provided a US$150 million loan for a major expressway project, as well as support under three multi-province loans.
Contact
Xuan Rong (Kelly)
Administrative Assistant
Asian Development Bank Resident Mission
in the People's Republic of China
Tel: +86 10 6642 6601 ext 227
Fax: +86 10 6642 6606
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