27 Nov. 2009, Beijing – China and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) celebrated the 30th anniversary of their cooperation in development here on 27 Nov. in Beijing, and a photo exhibition on China’s participation in the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) was featured.

Madame Chen Zhili, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the All-China Women’s Federation, addressed that “The cooperation between China and UNDP has greatly contributed to the progress of China’s social and economic development”.

China will continue to promote the South-South cooperation and assist other developing countries within its own capacity, so as to contribute more to global development, said Madame Chen.

UNDP Administrator Ms. Helen Clark highly praised China’s dramatic development achievements and highlighted the capacity to assist other developing countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 

Ms. Clark highly recognized the progress of the Greater Tumen Initiative, which is a unique regional cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia, supported by UNDP. “This Initiative brings together China, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Russia to cooperate on regional projects which encourage economic growth, improve living standards, and contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia,” emphazied Ms. Clark.

Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, noted that over the past three decades, the Government of China and UNDP have successfully completed 900 joint programs with a total funding of US $1 billion raised.
 
Mr. Chen Weigen, Vice Governor of Jilin Provincial Government, commended the contribution of UNDP in promoting regional cooperation. Mr. Chen said that “Jilin Province has played an important role in the partnership between UNDP and the Government of China, especially in the regional Greater Tumen Initiative”.

Moreover, “The State Council of China has approved development plans in the Tumen River region of Jilin province, and Jilin will continue its efforts to revive the province's economy,” said the Vice Governor.

Mr. Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China, described the evolution of UNDP’s work in China since 1979 and stressed that it has been “complementary to the Government’s changing development goals and priorities.”

The photo exhibition showcased GTI’s great achievements in promoting the greater Tumen region, featured by the regional cooperation in the sectors of investment, transport, energy, tourism and environment. The exhibition was jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce of China, Jilin Provincial Government and UNDP.

UNDP was one of China’s first development partners after the 1978 reform and opening up. From its early years focusing largely on technology transfer, UNDP has gradually shifted its emphasis to providing China with strategic policy options in the areas of poverty reduction, environmental protection, fostering democratic governance, and disaster management.