The 10th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction Held in Guilin

From 22 to 24 June 2016, the 10th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction was held in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. H. E. Zheng Wenkai, Vice Minister of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China, H. E. Somsanith Souvannlath, Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Prime Minister’s Office of the National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication of Lao PDR, H.E. Huang Shiyong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, H.E. Hap Omaly, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Rural Development of Cambodia, and H. E. Dr. Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of Community and Corporate Affairs, ASEAN Secretariat, attended the Opening Ceremony of the Forum and delivered speeches. More than 200 representatives from poverty eradication organizations of ASEAN countries and China attended the Forum. Representatives of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) were invited to attend the Forum.

Vice Minister Zheng Wenkai said that China has set the goal of lifting the rural population out of poverty by 2020. The Chinese government was taking measures to alleviate poverty. It had established the mechanism of poverty alleviation work inspection.

Dr. Mochtan said that ASEAN and China shared the common vision of eradicating poverty, ensuring prosperity for all, and leaving no one behind. Representatives from Lao PDR and Cambodia said  that poverty was a global issue that all the international community was committed to eradicating by 2030. With the financial and technical supports from China, ASEAN countries and the IPRCC had been implementing the poverty reduction bilateral MoU including capacity building, human resources development and demonstration village building.  

Delegates reviewed the history of poverty production and discussed the topics of “the 10th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Cooperation on Poverty Reduction”, “Strategies for Targeted Poverty Reduction and the Multidimensional Poverty Indicators” and “Poverty Reduction Cooperation under the Belt & Road Initiative Framework”. Deputy Director Mouavixay Palee of ACC delivered a speech on trade and investment cooperation between ASEAN and China in the Session of China and ASEAN under the “Belt & Road Initiative” and exchanged views with the participants.