XIAMEN CITY – China, the world’s second largest economy, has provided USD500 million grant to the Assistance Fund for South-South Cooperation to combat famine and refugee problems wrought by wars in developing countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made the announcement during Tuesday’s dialogue of emerging market and development countries (EMDCs) in Xiamen City.
The dialogue was one of the highlights of the 9th BRICS Summit which China hosted for the second time since 2006 when major emerging national economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa formed the bloc.
“The money will be used to help fellow developing countries tackle famine, refugee, climate change, public health and other challenges,” Xi said in his remarks.
“China will enhance development experience-sharing and capacity-building cooperation with other countries through such platforms as the Center for International Knowledge on Development and the Academy of South-South Cooperation and Development,” he added.
Xi also announced that China will provide other developing countries with 40,000 training opportunities in China in the coming year. Last June, China has donated PHP15 million for the rehabilitation and relief operations in war-torn Marawi City in southern Philippines.
This year, BRICS has invited the EMDC leaders from Thailand, Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, and Tajikistan to discuss a new path of cooperation and development “that is far, open, comprehensive and innovative.”
“Emerging market and developing countries represent the future of world development. It is our duty to promote international cooperation on development and implement the Sustainable Development Agenda,” Xi said.
Xi urged EMDCs to work together to make bigger contribution to global growth, seize every opportunity of world economic restructuring and build extensive development partnerships.
“We need to work closely to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We need to implement our national development strategies in light of our respective national conditions,” Xi told EMDC leaders.
Under its own 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xi said China has attained early harvests on economic, social, environmental and many others fronts.
Since the inception of BRICS in 2006, Xi said China’s economic aggregate has grown by 239 percent while total volume of its exports and imports in goods has increased by 73 percent.
“China has become the world’s second largest economy, the lives of its 1.3 billion been significantly improved, and China has made increasingly greater contribution to both regional and global economic development,” he said in one of his speeches during the BRICS Summit.
Xi expressed sincere gratitude to all BRICS and other EMDC leaders for attending the 9th BRICS Summit which drew over 1,600 delegates and was covered by over 3,000 local and foreign media.
The leaders include: South Africa President Jacob Zuma, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Guinea President Alpha Conde, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Tajikistan President Emomalii Rahmonov and Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha. (PNA)
