Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Sunday that the
Chinese government always values the cooperation with the World
Bank (WB) and is willing to expand the sound cooperation into new
areas.
Hu made the remark during a meeting in Beijing with World Bank
President James David Wolfensohn who had just attended the Global
Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction in Shanghai.
Hu said the Chinese government has always attached importance to
the cooperation with the World Bank.
He said China is ready to explore new areas of cooperation with
the World Bank and further deepen the sound cooperative relations
between the two sides, adding that it will help China push forward
its poverty reduction and development, Hu said.
Hu congratulated the World Bank on the success of the Global
Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction held in Shanghai during
May 26-27 and spoke highly about the important role that World Bank
plays in poverty reduction and common development of the world.
Hu said over the past few years, China and World Bank have
conducted fruitful cooperation in such areas as economic
development, technical assistance and strategic research, which in
turn helped promote the social and economic development of
China.
Hu expressed appreciation of World Bank's efforts to promptly
readjust its policy in accordance with China's development strategy
and the real needs and conditions of the country.
Wolfensohn thanked Hu for meeting him on Sunday. He also thanked
the Chinese government and Shanghai city for the substantial
support to the successful convening of the Global Conference on
Scaling Up Poverty Reduction.
He noted that the World Bank is willing to lift its cooperation
with China to a higher level by carrying out discussions on
long-term strategic issues that the international community faces
in the process of globalization.
Wolfensohn said World Bank will continue to do its utmost to
help China in its reform and development drive, adding that World
Bank will actively participate in the development of the west China
region and the rejuvenation of the traditional industrial belts in
northeast China.
(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2004)