Speech of Mr. Khalid Malik on Poverty Centre signing ceremony

        China’s economic growth last two decades averaged 9.4%. With per capita GNI now at $1,100, it is no longer low income country. China also managed to translate growth into an impressive poverty reduction: poverty (1$/day) fell from 53% in 1980 to 8% in 2002.
        An estimated 300 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty, giving great impetus to the world effort towards poverty reduction. Taking a global perspective, if China is excluded poverty has fallen only slightly or even risen, depending on the period studied.
        This underscores the crucial importance of understanding, disseminating and replicating parts of China’s development experience if the global struggle against poverty is to prevail.
        Other countries who manage similar processes of development, transition and globalization today face much the same obstacles and policy choices. The Chinese experience holds many invaluable lessons learned for making these choices. The Centre will act as a repository for this knowledge and be instrumental in spreading it.
But in continuing and deepening its own poverty alleviation, China in turn also has a great deal to learn from the successes of others. Sharing experiences, particularly among developing countries, is to a large extent what this Centre is all about.
Meanwhile, poverty reduction efforts in China are becoming increasingly difficult as new challenges emerge and the remaining poor are more difficult to reach. Both of these phenomena require a new set of strategies, based on a comprehensive understanding of poverty and its causes – on the macro level as well as the micro one.
        Research on poverty in China now needs to be strongly policy oriented and applicable. The Centre will therefore bring together scholars, policy makers, implementers and the poor themselves in an open, pragmatic search for new tools.
The emphasis of the Centre is very much on establishing networks and building strong partner­ships for poverty alleviation. Thus I am all the more happy that the first activity connected to it is an international workshop with joint contributions from the World Bank, DFID, UNDP and LGOP.

        Happy also for the participation of Dr. Nanak Kakwani, head of the UNDP International Poverty Centre in Brazil, with which I hope this Centre will establish strong ties.
        An independent, inclusive, creative and practically relevant Poverty Centre will be an incredible resource to support China in building its harmonious Xiaokang society. That is why I am sincerely honoured to be here today doing my part to lay its foundation.