Countries and Regions

	Table of Contents
p. 16 of 21 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Subregional Economic Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program IX. Local Cost Financing

Country Assistance Plans - People's Republic of China

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IV. Subregional Economic Cooperation

89. ADB is playing a leading role in two ongoing regional programs that include PRC, the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Central Asia Region. Through Yunnan province, PRC is an active participant in ADB-supported regional program to promote economic cooperation in GMS. Several priority subregional projects in the transport and energy sectors involving PRC have been identified. One project in the transport sector with important subregional linkages, the Southern Yunnan Road Development Project, was approved in 1999. ADB has helped to identify other projects in the transport, power, and agriculture sectors in Yunnan province. The Yunnan Highway III in the program will link Yunnan to Myanmar, and facilitate cross border trade. PRC’s active participation in GMS is reflected by its strong commitment in 2000 to provide financing for part of the Lao PDR portion of the Kunming to Chiang Rai Road. In addition, Yunnan Province has been an active participant in TA 5881: Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Mobile Populations in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)” study.

90. ADB is pursuing cooperation among the Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in PRC. A series of RETAs are helping the countries identify and prioritize development projects that increase and diversify trade and other economic activities in three sectors: (i) energy, (ii) transport and communications, and (iii) regional payments and trade. A preliminary set of project profiles has been prepared and these have been discussed by country officials at ADB-financed seminars. Several of the priority projects in the transport and energy sectors involve PRC. These initiatives need to be further studied before inclusion it will be included in the Program. The Government is interested in regional TAs to study cross border transport projects, particularly railways.

91. Regional initiatives are also underway in Northeast Asia including the UNDP/UNIDO sponsored Tumen River Basin studies. ADB has participated as an observer in some of these activities, but it is difficult for ADB to actively participate in, or finance, regional initiatives in Northeast Asia as two of the participating countries (the Russian Federation and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea) are not members of ADB. ADB is monitoring these developments and seeking to promote cooperation between PRC and Mongolia.

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