China is leading the way of reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific region, and contributing to other regional efforts like reforestation and energy efficiency to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said an international report released on Monday.

In 1990 one person out of three in China lived in poverty, while today the number is below one in ten, said "The Millennium Development Goals: Progress in Asia and the Pacific 2007" (MDG 2007), a joint report by the United Nations and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The MDGs range from halving extreme poverty to reducing child mortality, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, providing universal primary education, and providing access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities by the target date of 2015. It formed a blueprint in 2000 which was agreed upon by all nations and international development institutions.

According to MDG 2007, a landmark report issued half way toward the target date of 2015, China has reduced its level of hunger and nutrition below the regional average, and in some Chinese cities the rate is close to zero.

The reforestation in China also has helped Asia Pacific region registering an increase of forests, and the country has managed to double its energy efficiency since 1990, said the report.

China is also well on track for some other indicators like promoting gender equality and empowering women, improving maternal health and reducing child mortality, said the report.

However, China still has a lot to do to attain the goal of halving the proportion of rural population without access to safe drinking water, while the number of HIV infections is rising faster in the country than the average figure of the Asia-Pacific region, said the report.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2007)