CIDCA, DRC sign cooperative agreement

Luo Zhaohui, secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), met with Ma Jiantang, secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), on March 3.

Luo and Ma exchanged views on common concerns and signed a framework agreement on strategic cooperation at the meeting.

Luo welcomed the visit of Ma and his team and thanked the DRC for its great support for foreign aid.

Developing countries have more needs and higher expectations for China's foreign aid, as their economic and social development has been severely hindered by the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and global changes, both unseen in a century, Luo said. Upholding the principle of “helping build capacity”, China will continue to help related countries within its own capacity to enhance their independent development capacity and achieve economic and social recovery. 

The framework agreement signed between the CIDCA and the DRC with be a new start for the two sides to deepen cooperation, Luo said. The CIDCA is willing to further strengthen cooperation on knowledge assistance, theoretical research about foreign aid, policy advice and other fields with the DRC in a bid to consolidate the theoretical foundation of foreign aid, share development experiences with other developing countries and jointly implement the Global Development Initiative.

Ma thanked the CIDCA for its support for the DRC, adding that the two sides' cooperation has been deepening since the establishment of the CIDCA. 

The DRC has long been engaged in research on economic and social decision-making. It has gained some experience after exploration in foreign intellectual assistance, said Ma. He introduced the DRC's recent priorities, including the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the construction of the China-ASEAN Knowledge Network for Development, and the international sharing of development experiences.

Ma said he believes that the CIDCA and the DRC will take the framework agreement as an opportunity to give full play to their respective advantages, continuously strengthen theoretical research on global and Chinese development cooperation, increase the sharing of China's experience in governance and economic development and jointly promote knowledge assitance.

The DRC is willing to contribute to deepening the people-to-people ties between China and the countries concerned and telling the story of China's foreign aid, Ma added.