FM Spokesman: WB's Decision for Qinghai Project RegrettableForeign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi Tuesday afternoon expressed regret for a recent decision made by the World Bank (WB) to reject approval of a poverty reduction project in a remote Chinese province.Shareholders from developed members of the WB on July 8 rejected the recommendations of the Management of the World Bank on the Qinghai Component of the China Western Poverty Reduction Project. Sun commented in response to a journalist's question at a regular press conference that "The Qinghai Poverty Reduction Project is aimed at helping the people of various ethnic groups in the project region eradicate poverty and raise the economic and social development level." "It fully conforms to the policy and the Articles of Agreement of WB, and has been welcomed by the people in the region," Sun said. Sun attributed the approval failure to the "unreasonable demands" and "obstacles for political reasons" from some developed countries, the United States and Japan in particular, adding that their move "is in violation of" the WB rules. "China strongly opposes politicization of WB activities," he said. And "any attempt to obstruct the implementation of the project is doomed to failure." The Chinese government has decided to use its own fund to implement the project to help local people shake off poverty, according to Sun. "The determination of the Chinese government to speed up its poverty relief efforts will never waive," he said. |
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