Chinese envoy urges support for least developed countries

A Chinese envoy to the UN on Thursday urged the international community to take concrete actions in supporting the Least Developed Countries (LDC) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in meeting challenges including the Ebola epidemic.

"Against the backdrop of sluggish and uneven global economic recovery, deteriorating humanitarian crises in some conflict areas and the threat to global public safety by the Ebola outbreak, the LDCs and LLDCs, as vulnerable groups of the international community, are faced with ever increasing challenges," said Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, at a General Assembly committee meeting.

Wang called on the international community to concretely support the LDCs and LLDCs in their efforts to respond to challenges and resist shocks.

Noting that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is "the most direct and effective" support for these countries in need, Wang called on major donors to honor their commitments, give due attention to the LDCs and LLDCs in aid allocation and ensure the even allocation of aid.

"In the meantime, the international community should actively carry out all sorts of cooperation at the national, regional and global levels, strengthen support in all aspects to the LDCs and LLDCs," Wang added.

China has been a staunch supporter of the LDCs and LLDCs and has been providing assistance to the best of its ability within the framework of South-South Cooperation by various means. "China will continue to give priority to the LDCs and LLDCs in its overseas assistance and will increase its support in view of their needs and work jointly with them in tacking development challenges, " he said.

On the Ebola epidemic, Wang said China enjoys profound traditional friendship with fellow developing countries in Africa and is therefore deeply concerned about the damage caused by the Ebola epidemic.

As soon as the epidemic broke out at the beginning of this year, China reacted rapidly by immediately sending humanitarian assistance to the affected areas in three batches worth of 234 million yuan (38 million U.S. dollars) in total.

China also dispatched around 200 experts and medical workers to West Africa. Last week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced the fourth batch of assistance, which is worth at least 100 million yuan (16 million U.S. dollars), including ambulances, motorcycles, prevention and control kits and personal protective gears. Li said China will send dozens more experts and plans to train 10,000 local medial workers and community personnel in charge of prevention and control.

Wang said China is considering another round of assistance, " including increasing material assistance in the field of public health to help the African countries concerned enhance their capacity in epidemic prevention and control."

"We hope that the international community will strengthen coordination and cooperation in a joint effort to fight the Ebola epidemic," he said, noting that the international community should take a long term perspective and increase assistance to African countries with a view to building their capacity in the field of public health.