The Chinese and Dutch governments will jointly invest nearly 40
million euros (US$40.049 million) over a five-year period to
improve the urban environmental infrastructure in China's western
areas.
The Chinese Ministry of Construction (CMC) and the Netherlands
Embassy in China signed an agreement in Beijing Thursday, targeting
the development and application of feasible technologies to aid the
environmental infrastructure in western China's small cities.
According to the agreement, effective from 2003 to 2008, China and
the Netherlands will jointly invest 39.46 million euros (US$39.51
million) to solve the issues of water supply, sewage treatment and
garbage collection in the cities. Of the funds, some 14.96 million
euros (US$14.99 million) will be provided by the Netherlands.
Experts from the two countries will participate in finding a proper
model for developing western China's small cities, by drawing from
the experiences of both the Netherlands and China's developed
eastern areas.
Eleven small cities in southwest China have been chosen to carry
out the project, and their successful experience will be followed
by other small cities in the west.
CMC vice minister Qiu Baoxing said at the signing ceremony that the
cooperation will help China introduce the Dutch concept of
sustainable development and advanced technology and experience in
environmental infrastructure.
Qiu said the project will solve the problems of sewage and waste
pollution and the safety of drinking water for 500,000 residents in
the 11 trial locations, which will directly benefit the cities'
130,000 poor without increasing their burden.
The project will help improve the western region's environment and
infrastructure, decrease poverty and achieve sustainable
development, Qiu said.
Philip De Heer, the Netherlands ambassador to China, said the
project is of importance as it will promote sustainable development
and eliminate poverty in China's vast western region.
The exchanges and cooperation between the Netherlands and China
have been increasing and will bear more fruits in the future, said
the ambassador.
(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2002)