Visits and reception activities

【Visits】

　　In 2009, under the principle of "going out and bringing in", the relevant units under the leadership of LGOP further strengthened international exchanges and cooperation in the field of poverty reduction, expanded the channels and objects of communication and organized a number of delegations to visit the partner countries.

(1)  From January 5 to 10, a delegation headed by Liu Jian, Chairman of International Poverty Reduction Center in China (hereinafter referred to as "IPRCC") paid a visit to Turkey for survey on its social assistance and poverty reduction. The delegation visited the Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity of Republic of Turkey and the Turkish National Development Planning Bureau and conducted survey on the operation of Kaiqi Elan Anti-poverty Foundation and the orphanage, love supermarkets and anti-poverty entrepreneurship zones aided by the foundation. Meanwhile, it introduced China's ​​great achievements and basic practices in poverty alleviation, introduced IPRCC and put forward relevant suggestions on the cooperation between the two sides. 

(2)  From March 8 to 16, a delegation headed by IPRCC Director-General Wu Zhong paid a visit to Britain to participate in the International Seminar themed "Our Common Future: the Future of International Development" and conducted a wide range of communication and exchanges with the conference organizer the UK Department for International Development and the participants. After the workshop, it was invited to visit the Irish Aid, the Irish National Cook University and the UK Institute for International Development and conducted in-depth discussions with these institutions on the establishment of business contacts and conducting relevant cooperation.

(3)  From April 10 to 13, LGOP Director-General Fan Xiaojian headed a Chinese government delegation to visit Peru. During the visit, the two sides held talks and exchanges. Fan Xiaojian introduced in detail the poverty alleviation situation and the relevant experience of China, including the institutional functions, work priorities, basic experience, relevant benefiting-farmers policy and the problems and challenges as well. The two sides also conducted discussions on further cooperation. After the visit in Peru, on April 14, Fan Xiaojian headed a delegation to visit Venezuela. This visit aimed to implement the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Cooperation in Poverty Reduction" signed in May 2008 during Vice Premier Hui Liangyu’s visit in Venezuela and the two-year work plan signed in September 2008 during President Chavez’s visit in China. The delegation held talks with the relevant department of Venezuela. Director-General Fan Xiaojian introduced to Venezuela the poverty alleviation situation and the relevant experience of China and the delegation also visited Guaer Yi Spanish Commune, which was under construction.

(4)  From April 15 to 24, LGOP Deputy Director-General Wang Guoliang headed a delegation composed of relevant representatives from National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance and the Foreign Capital Project Management Center (FCPMC) of LGOP to participate in the World Bank high-level meeting held in Washington of the United States. During the meeting, the delegation held talks with the main leaders of the World Bank headquarters and the WB Africa Bureau and reached important consensus on three points: ① The World Bank shall send a vice president to participate in the international symposium on "community-led development and rural poverty alleviation and development" to be held in Beijing, China in October 2009 jointly by LGOP and the World Bank; ② The two sides conducted exchanges and discussions on strengthening the cooperation for assistance to Africa and decided to appoint special personnel to strengthen the liaison and communication; ③ The World Bank Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Mr. Lin Yifu shall continue to serve as the advisor of IPRCC.  

(5)  From September 13 to 22, FCPMC Director Fan Zengyu headed a delegation composed of the main leaders from FCPMC and the poverty alleviation offices of Henan, Chongqing, Guangxi to visit Nigeria and Ghana. The delegation conducted field research on the rural development, poverty alleviation and local CDD’s experience and practices in the two countries. The two sides both expressed their willingness to make a contribution to further strengthening China-Africa exchanges and cooperation in the field of poverty alleviation. After consultation with the relevant departments of Ghana, the two sides made the initial decision to jointly plan, organize and implement China's first foreign aid poverty alleviation project, i.e. China-Africa pilot project for comprehensive poverty alleviation in Ghana.

(6)  From September 28 to 30, the "Third China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction and the Fourth ASEAN Plus Three High-level Workshop on Poverty Reduction" was successfully convened in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was co-hosted by China’s State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP), Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the ASEAN Secretariat and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and organized by the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) with the help of other relevant international organizations. LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai led the Chinese Delegation to attend the forum and addressed the opening ceremony. During the workshop, Deputy Director Zheng Wenkai held talks respectively with Bui Ba Bong, Deputy Minister of Vietnam’s MARD and Ms. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Vice President of the ADB.

(7)  From November 22 to 30, LGOP Deputy Director-General Wang Guoliang headed a delegation to visit Benin. During the visit, the delegation held talks with Benin government departments, UNDP Benin Office, the World Bank Office in Benin and other international agencies, and reached consensus on promoting the China-Africa cooperation in the field of poverty reduction. Meanwhile, the delegation conducted field research on the situation of rural poverty and poverty alleviation projects in Benin.

【Reception activities】

　　The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) receives a large number of delegations from government departments of various countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations every year. In 2009, LGOP leaders met with 15 foreign delegations.

　　（1）On April 29, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with Vice-President of the Republic of Peru Mr. Luis Giampietri.

　　（2）On August 13, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with Yifu Lin, the World Bank Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.

　　（3）On September 7, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with a delegation headed by Costa Rica Foreign Trade Minister Marco Ruiz.

　　（4）On October 13, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with IFAD's President Mr. Kanayo F. Nwanze.

　　（5）On October 30, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with Mr. Amartya Sen, Harvard University Winner of the 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize.

　　（6）On November 3, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with Peru's former President of the Council of Ministers, the humanitarian party Chairman Yehude Simon.

　　（7）On November 28, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with a delegation headed by United Nations Development Programme Administrator Ms. Helen Clark.

　　（8）On November 13, Deputy Director-General Wang Guoliang met with a delegation headed by Vice Minister of People's Power for Communes and Social Protection of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Ms. Lidis Artov.

　　（9）On February 24, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with the World Bank's Vice President Mr. Sanjay Pala Dan.

　　（10）On March 23, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a visiting Mexican delegation composed of members from UNDP Bangkok Center, UNDP Mexico, the Mexican Congress, the National Council for Science and Technology and the Foreign Trade Promotion Agency.

　　（11）On June 25, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a state governor delegation headed by Mr. Ambulai B.Johnson, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Liberia.

　　（12）On July 11, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a delegation headed by Mr. Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.

　　（13）On September 17, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a delegation headed by Magda Lovei, Head of Rural Development,  Resources and Environment Department of World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region.

　　（14）On October 19, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a delegation headed by Mr. Tan Youde, First Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam.

　　（15）On November 2, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a delegation of Northwest Steering Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by Member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Secretary of Qinghua Province Ruan Wenli.