5 June, 2012 --- The opening ceremony of the “Seminar on Integrated Rural and Urban Development and Poverty Reduction for Asian Countries”, sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C and organized by the IPRCC, took place at Beijing Fraternal Cooperation International Hotel. Mr. Wang Shu, Assistant Director General of IPRCC chaired the opening session, Mr. Liu Shuwen, Deputy Director of Department of International Cooperation and Social Mobilization of LGOP addressed the opening ceremony, and Mr. Areeb L. M. Kitana from Palestine delivered a speech on behalf of all participants.

Themed on “Integrated Rural and Urban Development and Poverty Reduction”, the 15-day seminar is divided into two parts, expert lecture and filed trip. The lecture covers a range of issues like the general situation of China’s economic and social development, the formation and development of China’s urban-rural dual economic structure, China’s strategy for integrated rural and urban development and sustainable rural poverty reduction, the reconstruction of China’s rural financial system and integrated rural and urban development, the construction of China’s rural market system and integrated rural and urban development, the development of China’s rural social undertakings and integrated rural and urban development, the reconstruction of China’s rural public finance system and poverty reduction, the human resource development and rural poverty reduction in China. A field trip is scheduled in Sichuan province.

A total of 13 participants working in the area of rural development and poverty reduction from 5 countries including Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Nepal, and East Timor attended the event.