The Asian Development Bank, or ADB, will further enhance its co-operation with China, supporting infrastructure construction, energy saving measures, and environmental protection in China's poor areas. The Resident Director of Asian Development Bank in China made the remarks during a recent interview with CRI. Our reporter Tu Yun has the details.
 Reporter: During the interview, ADB's Chief China Representative, Toru Shibuichi, said China’s economy has grown rapidly in recent years, and the number of people living in poverty has been much reduced, but he stressed that China still faces great challenges in helping the poor.
“Certainly China has achieved in terms of poverty reduction over the last 20 years. But still about almost 10% people living below one dollar per day. This is one of the challenges.”
In addition to eliminating poverty, Toru Shibuichi says China is also confronted with challenges in other fields, such as energy, the environment, and the unbalanced development between the coastal and inland areas. He says that Asian Development Bank was planning to provide a 3-billion-US-dollar loan to China in the coming two years and cooperate with the Chinese government in supporting its development.
“Next two years, ADB provides 50% of the loan to the infrastructure, transport sector. About 20% will to the agriculture and natural resources. Also we increased allocation to social infrastructure development. We also increased more than 10% for energy efficiency.”
According to Toru Shibuichi, Asian Development Bank has transferred most of its loans from China's coastal areas to central and western regions. In the coming two years, 80 percent of the ADB loans to China will be given to projects in central and western regions. He reaffirmed ADB's commitment to further enhance development in China’s rural areas.
Tan Weiping, a poverty-alleviation official with the State Council, said the cooperation between China and Asian Development Bank has achieved great success in helping the poor, particularly in the area of technical aid.
“We have worked together effectively with Asian Development Bank for many years in the field of technical aid. We have launched many projects which were all very successful. Through these projects, ADB has played a big role in helping China to create proper poverty alleviation policy.”
Tu YUn, CRI News
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Director: Liu Chi