China has key role in global poverty battle

The 63rd United Nations General Assembly has invited more than 100 heads of state and government leaders to a high-level meeting starting today to conduct the interim assessment of the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the high-level meeting and general debate to explain China's stance in the world's most important political arena.

Eight years ago, leaders attending the UN Millennium Assembly signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration on Sept 25, 2000, pledging to achieve "decisive progress" in reaching the MDGs of eradicating extreme poverty worldwide, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing a global partnership for development.

After eight years of hard work, definite progress has been made in the implementation of the plan. For example, many countries are now close to reaching the goal of universal primary education; and the number of people living below $1 a day has been reduced from 1.25 billion in 1990 to less than 1 billion.