International Conference of Asian Political Parties on Poverty Alleviation:

At this moment of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties on Poverty Alleviation, on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Government, I'd like to express warm congratulation on the convening of this conference and also a sincere welcome to all of the Asian parties' representatives present here!

Poverty alleviation and development is the common challenge facing the international community. It is the hope of developing countries around the world and also the obligatory responsibility of all of the parties in developing countries to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals and promote common development.

Since its founding, the conference has been committed to eliminating poverty and promoting development. All political parties in Asia attach great importance to the cause of international poverty alleviation and development and have made active efforts toward this.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially over the past 30 years since China has adopted its reform and opening up policy, China has always attached great importance to poverty alleviation. The CPC, the Chinese Government and the Chinese people have been making unremitting efforts to find a way suited to China's national conditions to alleviate poverty. The Chinese people have made an historic leap-from having inadequate food and clothing to an overall well-off society. China's rural population living in poverty has been reduced from 250 million in 1978 to 35.97 million in 2009. Meanwhile, we fully realize that China remains the world's largest developing country and the Chinese people are working hard together to realize the goal of building up a well-off society and, basically, achieving modernization. It is a long-term and hard task for China to adhere to the principle of putting people first, to promote coordinated and sustainable economic and social development, to further reduce poverty and to realize common wealth.

The CPC, the Chinese Government and the Chinese People will continue to work for this objective.

For a long time, China has actively carried out international exchange and cooperation on poverty alleviation and development. The CPC is ready to work together with other Asian parties to promote poverty alleviation and development in Asia, so as to make its contribution to the realization of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, to promote the development of international relations and peoples' friendly exchanges; and jointly promote the construction of a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

I wish this conference a complete success! I wish the International Conference of Asian Political Parties becomes better and better!