China, ASEAN look to advance partnership for poverty eradication

The 12th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction opened Wednesday in Manila, the Philippines. With the theme “Enhancing Poverty Reduction Partnerships for an ASEAN-China Community with a Shared Future”, the two-day forum features discussions on anti-poverty issues that concern China and ASEAN member states. It aims to share the best practices and advance ASEAN-China strategic partnership for the realization of poverty eradication.

More than 120 experts, entrepreneurs and senior officials from China, ASEAN member states and international organizations attended the opening ceremony. Among the participants are Ernesto Abella, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines; Liza Maza, National Anti-Poverty Commission of the Philippines (NAPC) Secretary and Lead Convenor; Chen Zhigang, Vice Minister of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) of China; Sun Yi , Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of the Philippines’ Charge D’Affaires; Stephen P. Groff, Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Vice President for East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, and Dr. AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat.

Mr. Chen Zhigang, Vice Minister of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China, made a speech at the forum.  [Photo by Xiang Ting / China.org.cn]

In his opening remarks, Chen Zhigang, Vice Minister of the LGOP dubbed the forum “a cornerstone for deepening social development and promoting exchanges and cooperation in poverty reduction between China and ASEAN countries.” He added, “China is willing to enhance cooperation with ASEAN countries and make greater contributions for a community of shared future and common development.”

Stephen P. Groff, Vice President of Asian Development Bank (ADB), made a speech at the forum.  [Photo by Xiang Ting / China.org.cn]

For his part, Stephen P. Groff, ADB Vice President for East Asia, Southeast Asia said, “In China, over 800 million people escaped poverty in the past 30 years, the largest such reduction in history.” He stressed that ADB is committed to support poverty reduction across ASEAN and China by building partnerships across business, governments, research institutions, and financiers. 

Following the opening ceremony, intra-regional anti-poverty experts and international organizations’ representatives joined a plenary panel discussion on “What’s Next on Working for Poverty Reduction in China-ASEAN Cooperation”. They shared their latest theories and experiences on poverty reduction in the region and around the world.

Mr. Nicholas Rosellini, UN China Resident Coordinator & UNDP China Resident Representative, in panel discussion.  [Photo by Xiang Ting / China.org.cn]

According to Mr. Nicholas Rosellini, UN China Resident Coordinator & UNDP China Resident Representative, the last steps towards eradicating rural poverty will be the most difficult. “Fortunately, the global experience accumulated during the MDG and SDG efforts to tackle rural poverty offers many innovative approaches to addressing these challenges,” he added.

The forum was co-hosted by the National Anti-Poverty Commission of the Philippines and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China and co-organized by the Secretariat of NAPC of the Philippines and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China. It is also supported by the ASEAN Secretariat, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

After the forum closes Thursday, the delegates will go on a study tour to two NAPC Poverty Reduction Projects -- the Integrated Community Food Production Project and Coffee Farm in Amadeo, Cavite, and the Community Fish Landing Center in Mabini, Batangas.