International Exchanges

　　Visits: In 2011, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development actively conducted international exchanges and cooperation in the field of poverty reduction, further strengthened international exchanges in poverty reduction, expanded the communication channels and scope, organized exchange visits with a number of partner countries and sent a total of 36 visiting delegations abroad.

1. From August 25 to September 5, 2011, Deputy Director-General of LGOP Zheng Wenkai headed a delegation to visit Finland, Sweden and Denmark and carry out field research on the local social welfare and child poverty and development. During the visits, Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai held talks with the representatives from the three countries’ relevant ministries and research institutes in charge of social development and public welfare as well as the social groups in charge of children's affairs, and visited the communities to understand the rural development and child development situation, the child poverty status of the high-welfare states, the social policies and measures developed by high-welfare states to alleviate child poverty as well as the policy effects.

2. From September 10 to 20, 2011, Deputy Director-General of LGOP Wang Guoliang headed a delegation to visit Columbia and Peru. During its visit in Columbia, the delegation held talks with the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation and its working groups and reached a consensus on personnel exchange, the establishment of a networking knowledge sharing platform and the post-disaster reconstruction. In Peru, the delegation held talks with Maria, Director of the Peruvian Council of Ministers Presidium Office and conducted in-depth discussion on the further implementation of the Memorandum of Poverty Reduction Cooperation signed between IPRCC and Peru. During its visit in Peru, the delegation was also invited to visit the International Potato Center.

3. Invited by the Indonesian State Ministry of National Development Planning and Malaysian Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, a delegation headed by Director-General Fan Xiaojian of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) paid an official visit to the two countries from September 13 to 22, 2011. During this event, Director-General Fan visited the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare and Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia, the Malaysian Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, and Ministry of Agriculture, respectively, conducted in-depth discussions regarding the two countries’ poverty reduction mechanism, national poverty reduction and development strategies, poverty line, pro-poor policies and major experiences and challenges in poverty reduction. Mr. Fan also briefly introduced China’s poverty alleviation and development strategies, major policy measures and main contents of China’s poverty alleviation and development outline in the new era. They also discussed issues on how to strengthen the poverty reduction cooperation between China and the two countries through conducting joint research, exchange visits and policy dialogues. During the visit, the delegation also went on a field trip to visit the community empowerment and conditional cash transfer programs in Indonesia and homeless shelters in Malaysia, apart from holding talks with grassroots workers and program beneficiaries. During the visit, Director-General Fan also participated in the China-ASEAN Forum on Poverty Reduction and Social Development and delivered a keynote speech entitled “China’s Achievements in Poverty Reduction in the Past Decade and the Outlook of Poverty Alleviation and Development in the Coming Decade”.

　　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 2011, LGOP leaders met with 13 foreign delegations.

1. On January 5, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a delegation headed by Ajay Chhiber, Director of UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Bureau. The two sides exchanged views on how to deepen and expand their cooperation in the field of poverty reduction.

2. On March 22, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with the Bangladesh delegation headed by Mr. Abdul Aziz, Director General of Bangladesh Prime Minister's Residence. The two sides held talks on their recent exchanges and cooperation in the field of poverty reduction.

3. On March 29, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with the delegation headed by Ruan Zhongtan, Vice Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam. The two sides exchanged views on their experience and practice in the field of poverty reduction.

4. On April 18, 2011, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with the Indonesian Parliamentary Delegation headed by H. Gondo Radityo Gambiro, Vice Chairman of the 8th Indonesian Congressional Committee. The two sides exchanged views on poverty alleviation institutions, pro-poor policies, anti-poverty legislation and the arrangements of anti-poverty funds.

5. On June 3, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with Ms. Magda • Ravi, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Sustainable Development of Society,Environment and Rural Areas in Asia and Pacific of the World Bank.

6. On July 25, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with the 16th African Delegation of Senior Diplomats composed of 27 vice-minister-level diplomats from 25 African countries. Mr. Zheng introduced to the delegation China’s pro-poor policies, poverty reduction experience and poverty alleviation strategy for the next decade.

7. On July 26, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with Indonesia's National Economic Council Director Badi Ya. The two sides held talks on their pro-poor policies and poverty alleviation practice in the new era.

8. On August 11, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with Wife of President of the Republic of Mozambique Ms Maria and introduced to the delegation China’s pro-poor policies and experience in the exchange and cooperation in international poverty reduction. The two sides conducted in-depth discussion on their exchange and cooperation in the field of poverty reduction.

9. On September 15, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with Indonesian President's poverty reduction envoy Dillion. Director-General Zheng introduced in detail China’s pro-poor strategies in the new era and the two sides conducted in-depth discussion on their exchange and cooperation the field of poverty reduction in the future.

10. On October 10, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with the newly appointed Country Director of the United Nations China Mr. Bai Hua. The two sides conducted in-depth discussion on their cooperation in poverty reduction in the future.

11. On November 2, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with a delegation headed by Pakistan Justice Movement Party Chairman Imran Khan and introduced China’s rural land system reform, co-production contract responsibility system and its poverty reduction effects.

12. On November 3, 2011, LGOP Deputy Director-General Zheng Wenkai met with Ms. Anu Palmer • Singh, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific region, and Ms. McGee Lin, UNICEF China Representative.

13. On November 9, 2011, Director-General Fan Xiaojian met with a delegation headed by UaungGyi, the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Myanmar, and introduced to it China’s pro-poor policies, poverty alleviation experience and pro-poor strategies for the next decade. The two sides conducted in-depth discussion on their cooperation in the field of poverty reduction.

　　Overseas training: Overseas training is an important part of the foreign affairs of LGOP, an important means to broaden the vision of poverty alleviation cadres and an important measure to implement the strategy of fostering personnel for poverty alleviation. According to the state’s requirements of intellectual poverty alleviation and the guiding line of "serving ourselves based on our needs and avoiding disadvantages for higher effectiveness", it highlighted priorities, optimized the structure, conducted centralized management, developed relevant rules and systems and standardized the relevant regulations. In 2011, LGOP organized five overseas trainings for 100 people, namely the training on "socio-economic transformation and support for poverty-stricken population" in South Africa, the "Agricultural Association and Development of Featured Industries" in America, the "social services for poor communities and rural cooperatives" in Australia, the "agricultural industrialization and farmers’ security system" in America and the "capacity building for international poverty reduction” in the Philippines.