Chinese Mandarin - Nation to beef up Central Asian ties

CHINA / National

Nation to beef up Central Asian ties

By Zheng Lifei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-19 08:58

URUMQI: China will provide more assistance to Central Asian countries
under a regional economic co-operation programme to promote poverty
reduction and economic development in the area, said Chinese Finance
Minister Jin Renqing.

In particular, China will push ahead human resource co-operation among
the Central Asia Regional Economic Co-operation Programme (CAREC) member
countries, Jin said in an interview with China Daily.

Jin Renqing: Human resources a priority of co-operation. [China Daily]

"And China is ready to extend, along with other international financial
institutions, financial assistance to the (human resource development)
project," Jin said.

Initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 1997 as a regional
economic co-operation mechanism, CAREC's overriding goal is to alleviate
poverty and spur economic development in its member countries through
more efficient and effective regional economic collaboration.

Besides China, CAREC currently has seven other member countries
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. Russia has observer status.

Jin spoke ahead of the fifth CAREC Ministerial Conference, which will
open tomorrow in Urumqi, the capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region.

At a meeting of CAREC senior officials held in August, China proposed an
overall enhancement of the role it plays in member countries, which was
endorsed by all participants. Jin said that this topic will feature
prominently during the ministerial meeting.

"China is now considering providing financial assistance to the
initiative for its implementation," said Jin, who will chair tomorrow's
meeting.

The conference is expected to discuss and adopt a Comprehensive Action
Plan, which will serve as guidelines for the strategic management of
CAREC-initiated co-operation projects in various fields, said Jin.

CAREC is likely to expand its co-operation beyond its current priority
areas to other fields such as environmental protection, AIDS prevention
and control, and bird-flu epidemic prevention, said the finance minister.

CAREC currently focuses on financing infrastructure and improving the
region's policy environment in terms of transport, trade facilitation,
trade policy, and energy.

Jin said that the ministerial meeting, which will also involve delegates
from the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International
Monetary Fund, is also expected to adopt the Urumqi Declaration,
reaffirming member countries' commitment to regional co-operation and
agreeing directions for future co-operation.

The minister stressed that CAREC should stick to its principle of
conducting equal consultation among members and its non-political policy.

"Regional diversity must be respected and co-operation should always
comes first," Jin emphasized.

"Meanwhile, CAREC should maintain its transparency and openness and
co-operate with other development institutions to address regional
development issues," Jin said.

For example, CAREC has started to work with the Shanghai Co-operation
Organization in the fields of transportation, trade and other areas of
mutual concern, said Jin, noting that this co-operation has achieved good
results.

Regarding China's involvement in CAREC, Jin said the country is and will
remain an active participant.

"The Chinese Government has always attached great importance to and
actively participated in CAREC initiatives," the finance minister said,
pointing to a series of activities that China has undertaken so far.

Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours

Today's Top News 

� China's economy grows 10.7% in first three quarters

� All quiet on China's northeastern front

� China 'not pushing for Africa oil deals'

� US October death toll in Iraq hits 70

� 148,000 villages to be lifted out of poverty

Top China News 

� China announces measures to promote social justice

� Nation to beef up Central Asian ties

� DaimlerChrysler ramps up local vehicle production

� eBay in court again over sale of pirated e-books

� Draft corporate tax law to be tabled soon

Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.

Learn Chinese, Chinese Mandarin