Madam Chair,

The Chinese delegation wishes to thank the Secretary General for his reports on agenda items 23(a) and (b), and associates itself with the statement made by Yemen on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Madam Chair,

The world economy has started a slow recovery, but the repercussions of the financial crisis are still being felt. The momentum of the recovery is weak and prospects uncertain. Against this backdrop, the question of development assumes even greater prominence. The LDCs and the LLDCs, being vulnerable groups in the world economy, are in urgent need for a better external development environment while struggling to address formidable internal development challenges. The international community must give full play to the spirit of partnership demonstrated at the recent UN Summit on MDGs, implement in earnest the outcome document of that meeting, the Monterey Consensus and other commitments for development financing, and strengthen its support for the LDCs and the LLDCs so as to help them achieve the MDGs by 2015.

Madam Chair,

The development of the LDCs is the key to the timely attainment of the MDGs. This is the last year of the Programme of Action for the LDCs for the decade of 2001-2010, but there still exists a considerable gap between the LDCs' development achievements and the objectives set forth in the Programme of Action. The Fourth UN Conference on LDCs to be held next year will develop a plan of action for the next decade for the international community's support for the LDCs and will have a direct bearing on the LDCs' efforts to achieve the MDGs on time. In this connection, China proposes that the international community seize the important opportunity provided by the conference and intensify efforts in the following areas:

1. Reaffirmation of political commitments. The outcome of the conference should reaffirm the unwavering political commitment of the international community to supporting the development of the LDCs, reflect the partnership spirit of the international community in supporting the LDCs, and develop a medium-and-long-term holistic and forward-looking strategy for supporting the development of the LDCs.

2. Increase of ODA. ODA is the most direct and effective measure in support of the LDCs, and is also their most significant source of development financing. The conference should urge member states concerned to honor their commitment under the Brussels Programme of Action of providing 0.15-0.2% of their GNI as ODA to the LDCs, enhance monitoring and oversight of the implementation of this commitment, make vigorous efforts to align aid allocation with the development needs of the LDCs, and strive to increase the stability and predictability of financial assistance.

3. Increase of support in a holistic approach. The outcome of the conference should be oriented to the development needs and challenges of the LDCs, give priority to the positive roles of trade, investment and debt relief, strengthen the whole package of support measures for the LDCs, effectively improve their external development environment, and build their capacity for sustainable development.

Madam Chair,

China is pleased to see that since the Almaty Programme of Action was put into practice, good progress has been registered in the increase of aid, the decline of foreign debt, and the improvement of education. However, we are also well aware of the unevenness in the progress of the LLDCs, and their overall development is not yet at a level that can help them attain the MDGs on time. In particular, the biggest impediment to the development of the LLDCs, namely, the exorbitant cost of transit transport, has not yet been removed. In this connection, China proposes that the international community should intensify its efforts in the following areas:

1. Improvement of infrastructure. The international community should focus on helping the LLDCs break the vicious cycle they face in investment in infrastructure; encouraging, guiding, and favoring the private sector in its participation in infrastructure construction; further enhancing the interconnectivity of the intra-regional railroad and highway networks, and significantly raising the share of infrastructure in the use of ODA.

2. Continuous advances in policy coordination. The international community should vigorously enhance its cooperation in regional transit transport, actively promote international and regional trade facilitation, further expand the scope of trade preference arrangements for the LLDCs, help to build their capacity to take advantage of preferential trade measures, and raise their share in international trade.

Madam Chair,

The Chinese government has always firmly supported and actively promoted the development of the LDCs and the LLDCs, who are our priorities in South-South cooperation. We have always shown respect for their development needs and their national conditions and focused our efforts on improving their people's livelihood and infrastructure and enhancing their capacity of sustainable development. In recent years, Chinese leaders have announced in multiple fora, including UN high-level meetings and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, packages of support measures for the LDCs and the LLDCs. At the UN Summit on MDGs on September 22 this year, the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao again articulated six initiatives of support for developing countries, including the LDCs and the LLDCs. China will continue to adhere to the principle of "consultations on an equal footing, mutual benefit, and common development," and join hands with the LDCs and the LLDCs in addressing development challenges and sharing development opportunities.

Thank you, Madam Chair.