UNDP chief praises China's achievements

Development model can be applied to underdeveloped economies: Official

China has made tremendous strides in sustainable development, and its successful experience in economic growth and poverty elimination could be shared with underdeveloped economies, a senior United Nations official said on Friday in Beijing.

"China has enjoyed a period of tremendous growth and has learned many lessons along the way," said Helen Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Program.

"It is important that we work together to share these experiences in a way that is most beneficial to developing countries, and I have been encouraged by China's willingness and commitment to do so."

Clark arrived in China on Wednesday for a four-day official visit.

China is much less dependent on outdated, carbon-intensive methods for growth, she said. It provides an opportunity for the world's biggest developing economy to promote a new development model of inclusive growth, which is vital to human development in the fight against poverty and inequality, she said.

"Taking agriculture for example, successful experiences China has gained and those applied technologies are of great reference for African countries," she said.

Despite the huge achievements China has made in economic growth and poverty elimination, Clark also pointed out the challenges the world's second-largest economy faces to balance its development and improve energy efficiency through sustainable practices.

It is Clark's fourth visit to China since her appointment as UNDP administrator in 2009. She previously served as New Zealand's prime minister for three terms from 1998 to 2008.

Premier Wen Jiabao met Clark on Thursday and said China will cooperate more closely with the agency and will unremittingly strive for the common development of all countries and regions around the world.

China still has a long way to go in realizing the country's modernization, said Wen, adding that the country will continue to open up to the world, reform and promote comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development.

As China prepares for the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in June, Clark's visit signals the importance she attaches to China, UNDP said in a news release. China has outlined plans to reduce emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent by 2020, using 2005 levels as a reference.

The Rio+20 Conference should inspire nations by enabling leaders to share experience on what works in their countries, Clark added.

More than 100 world leaders, including Premier Wen, have confirmed they will attend the conference, and more than 1,000 CEOs are expected to participate in what could be the largest event in UN history, Janos Pasztor, executive secretary of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability, told China Daily previously in an exclusive interview.

cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn