Our 40 Year Journey in China

1979: Establishment of UNDP China

The UNDP China Country Programme was established in September, 1979 with the signature of the UNDP-Government of China Standard Basic Assistance Agreement. This event followed on the heels of China’s decision to implement reform and opening up policies at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, held in Beijing in 1978. UNDP subsequently became China’s first development cooperation partner and one of the few windows to foreign ideas, practices, and technology. The assistance initially consisted of an ad hoc allocation of $15 million, with which 27 projects were formulated.

Former Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping meets with former UNDP Administrator Bradford Morse on 4 September, 1979

Former UNDP Administrator Bradford Morse, former Foreign Minister of China Huang Hua and former Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Wei Yuming at the launching ceremony of the UNDP China office

A scientist is working at the Vegetable Research Center in Beijing.

Early 1980s: Regional Training Centres

During the First Country programme, over 1300 scientists and technicians from developing countries received training at regional centres supported by UNDP. One of these was the Beijing Vegetable Research Centre. With the help of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, pest and disease resistant hybrids of many vegetables were developed for China, and a number of new food varieties were introduced for cultivation such as broccoli, five different kinds of lettuce, and Japanese watermelon and cantaloupe. This greater variety resulted in increased nutritional intake.

1983: The Establishment of CICETE

The China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) was established under the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade (later renamed the Ministry of Commerce) to contribute to China’s socio-economic development by promoting economic and technical exchanges between China and the rest of the world. CICETE serves as a specialized international assistance executing agency that coordinates cooperation between China and UNDP, UNIDO and UNV.

The inauguration ceremony of CICETE

The English Language textbooks produced as part of a UNDP project in the late 1980s.

1988: Modernizing English Language Education

Partnering with the People’s Education Press under the Ministry of Education (formerly the State Education Commission), Longman Publishing, and UNESCO, UNDP carried out China’s first international project to design English Language learning textbooks from 1988 to 1993. A set of up-to-date secondary school English teaching materials were published and used in all Chinese classrooms, which were the very first English textbooks co-designed by Chinese government and international partners. Additionally, through training at home and abroad, and exchanges with foreign experts, the capacity of professional writers, editors and designers of English teaching materials was enhanced.

With over 100 million Chinese students ultimately benefiting from these interventions, the project had a major impact on the entire generation of Chinese students who started learning English in middle schools. To this day, characters from the textbook including Li Lei, Han Meimei and the English-speaking parrot Polly, remain childhood memories of many Chinese born in the 80s and 90s.

Early 1990s: Introducing Microfinance to China

UNDP was one of the first international organisations to pilot microfinance in China. The project ranged across 48 counties in 16 provinces. More than 300,000 clients all over China have since been given small loans from revolving loan funds adding up to nearly US$10 million. In conjunction with the funds, borrowers have been given training in business as well as life skills to help them realize their full potential. The beneficiaries of the programme have been among the rural poor in China’s least developed areas. The vast majority of clients have been women, often lower educated and from ethnic minority groups.

UNDP microfinance project in Inner Mongolia

UNDP microfinance project in Inner Mongolia

Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner and dounder of Grameen Bank, and delegates from Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank speak with villagers in Tibet about microfinance.

Fan Guanying, a laid-off worker in Tianjin, set up the "Community Dining Table" with the microcredit loan she received through the UNDP and Chinese government joint project to help laid-off workers with re-employment and job generation.

82-year-old Dr.Yang Tianquan, while holding the Budget Law of the PRC, says he is very glad to see enforcement of the law.

Former Vice-Chair of the NPC Council of Law, Mr.Xiang Chunyi, is explaining the new Foreign Trade Law at the 7th meeting of the 8th Standing Committee.

1992: Reforming the Economic Legal System

UNDP launched a major project to assist the Legislative Affairs office of the State Council to organise and lead 19 government ministries and departments in the establishment of a new economic legal system. As a result, 32 major economic laws were drafted, including the Budget Law, Foreign Trade Law, Banking Law and Securities Law.

1992: Modernizing China's Customs Service

UNDP assisted the General Administration of Customs (GAC) to begin an extensive modernization of China’s customs service. The time needed for processing customs clearance documents was reduced from 22 days to 22 seconds, which greatly contributed to China’s trade and economic development. The emphasis of the programme was on establishing a secure and efficient customs management system for the GAC through a global customs network.

1999: Promoting Green Fridges

Together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and the State Environment Protection Administration (now the Ministry of Ecology and Environment), UNDP launched a project to promote the production and consumption of energy-efficient refrigerators free of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). CFCs are chemicals typically used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants that are harmful to the earth’s ozone layer. The project, which received the International Climate Protection Award from the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA), introduced innovative market incentives targeted at both manufacturers and retailers, providing subsidies for the production of energy-efficient refrigerators. Over the course of the project, the number of “green” refrigerators sold dramatically increased from 1,000 units in 1999 to 40 million in 2005.

Before Chinese New Year, some customers learn about the advantages of CFC-free refrigerators in a department store in Haikou

Closing Ceremony of the Green Refrigerators Programme

2001: Developing the End Use Energy Efficiency Programme

UNDP, in partnership with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Construction (now the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development), and with support from the Global Environment Facility, took a lead role in developing the broad and inclusive End Use Energy Efficiency Programme (EUEEP). EUEEP fostered a strategic approach to developing, implementing, and enforcing a comprehensive energy conservation policy and regulatory system in China. The programme promoted energy efficiency in industry and buildings. UNDP’s efforts included cooperating with architecture design companies to provide solar powered buildings, energy efficient construction materials, and other eco design solutions. Also, UNDP introduced and popularized energy-efficient labelling in China through large public campaigns and events providing consumers with more choices of energy saving products.

2001: Supporting China’s Admission to the WTO

China’s admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) was approved after 15 years of negotiations. UNDP’s extensive involvement in activities designed to enhance China’s role in international trade played a significant role in this development. For instance, working with the State Intellectual Property Office (now the China National Intellectual Property Administration), UNDP’s effort to enhance the capacity of the government to handle intellectual property matters at an international standard proved especially useful to China's accession to the WTO.

Signing ceremony for China’s accession to the WTO

63 years old Liu Zehua proudly displays the increased output from his mushroom field in Ji County, Tianjin, a site of UNDP’s TTF project

2006: Innovative Technologies for Poverty Alleviation

The UNDP Technical Task Force (TTF) programme was established as a joint initiative between UNDP and the Ministry of Science and Technology, which aims to link farmers with innovative, environmentally friendly and locally relevant technologies so as to increase their income and enhance sustainable development. The programme also focused on introducing market mechanisms to traditional agriculture in rural China. From 2012 through 2014, the programme was scaled up to cover 31 provinces and 75,000 TTF personnel were dispatched to implement it. Since 2008, 1 million farmers have benefited from the programme each year, with an average annual income rise of 10%.

2009: Promoting Green Lights

UNDP and the National Development and Reform Commission launched the US$ 84 million Green Lights programme. Phase I of the project ambitiously aimed to phase out the import and sale of incandescent light bulbs in China and replace them with energy efficient bulbs over the course of three years. This resulted in an 8% reduction in annual national energy consumption.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers a speech at the signing ceremony for the Green Lights Programme in July 2009

Former UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sign an MOU on South-South Cooperation

2010: Strengthening Cooperation on South-South Cooperation

UNDP and the Government of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen partnership on shared development priorities and international cooperation. Since then, through dialogue facilitation and demand driven policy research and projects, UNDP has supported China’s efforts for positive engagement on global development under South-South Cooperation.

2014: Reducing Persistent Organic factory Pollutants (POPs)

POPs can last in the human body for 50 years, passed on from mother to babies. They have been detected in places as remote as the North Pole. UNDP has supported the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in implementing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) reduction initiatives and enhancing public awareness as part of a global effort to reduce POPs in line with the Stockholm Convention.

A large part of the efforts to reduce POPs in China has focused on the elimination of DDT in China’s marine ecosystem. There are around 300,000 fishing vessels spread along China’s coastline that collectively consume around 10,000 tonnes of antifouling paint. This paint is often laced with DDT and therefore leave trails of harmful POPs in the water and pollute marine ecosystems. To address this issue, 24 new paint alternatives were introduced and 864 tonnes of these alternatives were produced with the help of UNDP.

Examining antifouling paint on ship hulls

Dang Jiru is in his orchard in Luochuan County, Shaanxi Province. He is one of 100,000 farmers trained to adapt their farming techniques to adhere to international trading standards requiring the elimination of DDT pesticides resulting in increased harvests and expanded markets for sale of crops.

2015: Sharing China’s Experience on Poverty Alleviation

In 2015, UNDP, the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), and other organisations jointly organised the Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum. Hosted bi-annually, the goal of this forum is to broaden the impact of International Poverty Eradication Day and share experiences and lessons in poverty reduction.

At the 2015 forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech on China’s strategy and targets for poverty alleviation. In a video message, former UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon recognized the declaration made by China to ensure that everyone living in poverty in China would be lifted above the poverty line by 2020. As the special representative of the UN Secretary General, former UNDP Administrator Ms. Helen Clark attended the Forum. In her speech, she commended China for its major commitments to achieving the SDGs globally, and also emphasized that the importance of China mainstreaming SDG 1 into its five-year plan for 2016- 2020.

Former UNDP Administrator Helen Clark delivered a speech at the forum

2016: Envisioning an Energy Future with Zero Emissions

For more than a decade, UNDP has been working on promoting hydrogen-based clean energy solutions in China. Together with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), UNDP has been working on the development of commercial demonstration of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and supporting policies in China since 2003, with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). In 2016, UNDP and Chinese partners launched the third phase of the project to help commercialize FCVs in China and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector.

In the same year, UNDP launched the first Hydrogen Economy pilot city in Rugao city, Jiangsu province, with the aim of realizing a new economic model that relies on hydrogen as a key power source to meet the energy demands of economic and social development.

UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh showcases a Fuel Cell city bus at UN compound in Beijing

Zhang Zhihe, director of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and former UNDP China Resident Representative Agi Veres at the panda ambassadors signing ceremony

UNDP announces the names of the first-ever global sustainable development animal ambassadors as QiQi and DianDian at 2016 Social Good Summit

2016: Appointing Animal Ambassadors for the SDGs

In 2016, UNDP designated two twin panda cubs from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to officially become first- ever animal ambassadors for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The cubs were officially named "QiQi" and "DianDian" through a global naming campaign. "Qi Dian" represents the starting point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the global development path. "Qi" stands for “to inspire”—we need to inspire innovative thinking to meet the global challenges; "Dian" stands for “to ignite”—we strive to ignite the hope of creating a better future for all. The campaign, which lasted eight months, received more than 5000 names from enthusiastic netizens from 116 countries. These names carry the best wishes of the people, which will undoubtedly support the animal ambassadors in promoting the SDGs. In addition, 17 winners of the ‘Panda Champions for Global Goals’ campaign were selected from 14 countries. In early 2017, the 17 champions visited QiQi and DianDian at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and are now taking action to raise awareness of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda in their own countries as SDGs advocates.

UNDP Animal Ambassadors, twin panda cubs, QiQi and DianDian, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, China

2016-Present: Facilitating Discussion on Global Governance and the Belt and Road Initiative

Starting in 2016, the Global Governance Initiative run in collaboration with the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) began to explore the Belt and Road Initiative and its synergies with the existing global governance system and sustainable development. The topic of the latest 2018 forum in Guangzhou was financial cooperation and sustainable investment in Belt and Road partner countries to further the achievement of the SDGs, sustained economic growth, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The insights and ideas of the 2018 Global Governance Forum were further collected in a report, which fed into the critical thinking of the Belt and Road Forum in 2019.

Guangzhou Tower displaying the name of the 2018 High Level Policy Forum On Global Governance

2017 Report - The Belt and Road Initiative: A New Means to Transformative Global Governance Towards Sustainable Development

The 2018 High Level Policy Forum on Global Governance held in Guangzhou

Firefighter Otine Beazer and his family, one of the many families on Barbuda that UNDP helped to rebuild their homes following Hurricane Irma which damaged an estimated 90% of the properties on the island

2017: Strengthening Disaster Recovery Efforts through South-South Cooperation

The 21st century has been marked by an increase in recurrence and intensity of natural disasters across the globe. In 2017, the Government of China provided US$17 million through the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, partnering with UNDP in support of the recovery and reconstruction efforts in five countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Antigua and Barbuda, and Commonwealth of Dominica. More than half a million people in these countries continue to benefit from post-disaster recovery assistance projects. For example, in the Caribbean, around 800 buildings were rebuilt including schools and hospitals following the back to back hurricanes of Irma and Maria

2019: Promoting the Development of a SDGs Impact Finance Modality

A major challenge in achieving the SDGs is figuring out how to finance them. Globally, delivery of the SDGs requires investment of between US$5-7trillion annually. In response, UNDP launched an SDG Financing Platform promoting the development and expansion of sustainable finance in China.

The platform’s aim is to develop operational guidelines and principles for SDGs impact finance and to eventually put forward SDG impact evaluation standards, together with a regulatory framework and policy suggestions. This initiative brings together regulators, academia, business representatives, investors, and social organizations to discuss aligning multiple standards to address one of the key challenges of measuring impact of finance: How to make impact-oriented investment and financing products more attractive for investors?

Former UNDP China Resident Representative Agi Veres speaking at the workshop on Financing for Sustainable Development

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been operating in China for four decades. During this time, China has witnessed successive rounds of reform that have seen the country both improve its standard of living and open up to more global engagement.

As we look back on our history we have a special opportunity to reflect on how much has been achieved in the area of sustainable development in China: UNDP helped introduce the overall concept of sustainable development to China, advocating for its acceptance and its integration into government policies; we helped connect China with international development experience and good practices to inform domestic approaches and build local expertise and capacities; we supported technology transfers and the mobilization of international financing to assist in China’s development, and now assist China’s offering of development experience and innovation to the world.

These are just some of the many milestones from our 40 year journey - a glimpse into our history in China and the story of how UNDP has evolved alongside a transforming country.

I would like to extend my thanks to our national counterparts, UN agencies and to all other partners who have shared this remarkable journey with us. Special appreciation goes to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), our government coordinating agency, and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), our key programme management partner, for their continued assistance and engagement on development initiatives including the ones in this album.

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of UNDP’s engagement in the country. We are proud to have traveled this road together hand in hand with the government and the people of China. Many challenges still remain to achieve the SDGs, but together with our partners, UNDP stands ready and determined to address them, further paving the way to a brighter and better future for all.

Beate Trankmann

UNDP Resident Representative in China