ASEAN—China Forum on Poverty Reduction Held

The 11th ASEAN-China Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction， hosted by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China and the Ministry of Rural Development of Cambodia， took place July 25-27 in Siem Reap， Cambodia. More than 100 officials， scholars， reporters and business elites from China and ASEAN countries， as well as delegates from international organizations and NGOs， attended the forum.

The forum focused on cases， successful practices and further cooperation in poverty-reduction in China and ASEAN， as well as the materialization of the 2030 sustainable development agenda.

The leading attendees were Cambodian Minister of Rural Development Ouk Rabun， deputy chief of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development Hong Tianyun， and head of ASEAN Secretariat Human Development Division Rodora Babaran.

Ouk Rabun affirmed the poverty-reduction achievements made by ASEAN member states and briefly introduced Cambodia's situation in social development and poverty reduction.

Hong Tianyun said China has lifted 700 million out of poverty in the 39 years since reform and opening up began， reducing the poverty rate to 4.5 percent based on China's poverty standards for rural areas.

Echoing Hong， Rodora Babaran said despite the general decline of poverty rates in Asia， poverty still affects people everywhere.

Rodora believes that China and ASEAN can re-evaluate challenges posed by poverty， and discuss innovations in methods of reducing poverty.

Attendees from Malaysia， Philippines， Brunei， Singapore， Thailand and other countries also shared their visions for poverty reduction.