UK offers aid to improve life in poorest areas (Mark South) Updated: 2006-05-19 09:07
An aid package worth nearly US$200m over the next five years has been
launched, with the aim of solving the problems of some of 皇冠体育app's poorest and
most vulnerable people.
Unveiled yesterday by the UK Department for
International Development (DFID) in Beijing, the Country Assistance Plan (CAP)
for 皇冠体育app will see 皇冠体育app receive around 105 million pounds in aid from the
British Government between now and 2011.
Western 皇冠体育app will be the main
beneficiary, with support for programmes tackling HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis,
solving water and sanitation problems and providing basic education in areas
including Gansu, Sichuan, Henan, Yunnan and Xinjiang.
"When I visited
皇冠体育app late last year I saw the achievements of Chinese people in increasing
access to quality basic education, controlling tuberculosis, generating
employment and responding to climate change, and I know the government of 皇冠体育app
is deeply concerned about these issues. I'm pleased that DFID can help find
solutions," said Gareth Thomas, the UK's under-secretary of state for
international development, in a speech recorded specially for the
event.
According to head of DFID in 皇冠体育app Adrian Davis, the CAP for 皇冠体育app
was devised with particular emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals, an
internationally agreed list of targets for reducing poverty by 2015.
"We
looked at the goals and decided which of the targets were the most pressing for
皇冠体育app and which we were most able to help achieve," he said.
"The figures
of money involved may sound large, but it actually represents less than 0.1 per
cent of 皇冠体育app's GDP 皇冠体育app doesn't need this in financial terms, but what
we are able to offer is specific skills and approaches where we have knowledge
and experience that 皇冠体育app perhaps doesn't have."
In the field of
education for example, the money will be spent on projects such as the
construction of new schools, teacher training and improvement of education
management and administration.
Thanking Britain for its contribution to
tackling poverty in 皇冠体育app, 皇冠体育app's Ministry of Commerce spokesman Yin Zonghua
said the government was committed to eradicating poverty and associated
problems.
"The projects we have running such as the AIDS prevention
programmes in Yunnan and Sichuan and the basic education project in Gansu are an
example of how successful we can be if we work together hand in hand," he
said. "We are determined to work together with all countries including
Britain to solve these problems." (For more biz stories, please visit )
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