World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick will visit China from December 14-18 to reinforce the long-standing partnership between China and the Bank.

"The partnership between China and the Bank is a very strong and evolving one," Mr. Zoellick said. "Increasingly, our engagement with China is focused on global issues such as the environment and China's emerging role in international development."

Mr. Zoellick will visit China after the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. At that conference, he outlined how the World Bank Group can help integrate the needs of development with low-carbon growth and exchanged views with leaders of the international community on how to meet the climate change challenge without slowing the growth that will help overcome poverty.

"Emerging economies like China are playing a crucial role in this discussion," Mr. Zoellick said. "In my visit to China, I am keen to listen and learn about how the country is making efforts to achieve more sustainable growth, which will benefit China as well as the rest of the world."

Mr. Zoellick will visit Guangzhou and then travel to Chongqing and rural Sichuan to see how the World Bank Group works with its Chinese partners to address challenges facing the country. He will see a number of World Bank-financed projects and meet people who have benefited from them. He will also meet with the provincial and municipal leaders.

In Beijing, Mr. Zoellick will meet with senior leaders and ministers of the Chinese Government to gain an insight into the country's development strategies and how the World Bank Group can help China reach its development goals. He will also discuss the ways China is supporting other developing countries to reduce poverty. "China's rapid growth, open markets and nascent overseas'cooperation program have the potential to catalyze development around the world. I want to discuss with the authorities how the Bank can help maximize that potential," Mr Zoellick said.

While in China, Mr. Zoellick will also meet representatives of academic and civil society organizations to hear their views on the challenges and role of the World Bank in China.

(China Development Gateway December 13, 2007)