BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- China is a model developer and is the only country in the world that has grown from low development to high development during the past 40 years, said a senior official with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Friday in Beijing.
Mourad Wahba, associate administrator of the UNDP and director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, made the comment during his official visit to China.
This year marks 40 years since the UNDP established its presence in China.
"We are very happy to be here for 40 years," said Wahba, adding China has made impressive growth due to the work of the Chinese people and wisdom of the Chinese leadership.
"The relationship between China and the UNDP has been a dialogue," he said, defining the positive interaction as a partnership.
China's rapid development such as catering to the digital economy and engaging with climate change has also taught us a lot, he said, noting China is growing a vision of exporting its experience to the world.
Wahba described China's poverty alleviation as "very impressive."
"The magical ingredient China has used to reach poverty reduction is political will," he said. "Once you have the decision, you can put it into policy to reach a reduction in poverty."
In addition to economic growth, he also attributed the success of China's poverty alleviation to conscientious efforts to make the rich support the poor, which have demonstrated China's internal solidarity.
Wahba first came to China in 1977, when he was still attending university in Cairo. He brought a camera with him and "took pictures of everything I saw."
"The way people organized their lives and the solidarity of the people on the land were for me heartwarming," he recalled.
Wishing to spend more time here to see more of what China has accomplished during recent years, Wahba compared what he saw in 1977 and 2019: "It is incredible."
