In 2014, the Ministry of Commerce carried out all kinds of key work of foreign aid in a down-to-earth way, firmly pushed forward management system reform of foreign-aid projects, actively transformed the function of the government, strengthened policy planning and design, vigorously focused on the initiation and implementation of projects and made efforts to improve management level and quality and benefit. The year saw 112 new complete projects of foreign aid undertaken, 21 framework agreements on preferential loan signed, 105 batches of foreign-aid materials provided, 23 sums of financial aid of emergency assistance in cash implemented, 40 projects about consultation review implemented and 16,000 talents trained in China covering 148 countries and organizations.
I. Reform of foreign aid project management system was deepened. In response to the changes in domestic and international trends, a comprehensive and deep management system reform of foreign-aid projects had been launched, the reform idea of “taking transforming the function of the government and market-oriented reform as the mainline” had been defined and various reform tasks had been steadily promoted based on the principles of “innovating management, optimizing personnel, standardizing competition and implementing responsibilities”.
II. Top-level design was fully strengthened. The formulation of foreign aid policy guidelines on medium- and long term development had been accelerated, compiling work of country assistance guidance for recipient countries had been implemented and the scientificity, standardization and effectiveness of project approval had been enhanced.
III. The building of foreign aid laws and regulations was promoted, with the Management Methods of Foreign Aid (Trial), the first comprehensive regulation of foreign-aid management in Chinese history, being issued. The basic institutional framework of foreign-aid management was established and the legal foundation of foreign-aid management was strengthened, which contributed to promoting the institutionalization, standardization and scientificity of foreign-aid management and were widely echoed by all sectors of society.
IV. Major actions and aid efforts were comprehensively implemented. Aid measures were scientifically drawn up in coordination with such important activities as the APEC meetings, the SCO meeting, the CICA meeting and the East Asia Leaders Summit. Major bilateral and multilateral foreign-aid measures such as UN Millennium Development Goals, the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, the China-Caribbean Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum were fully implemented with remarkable achievements.
V. Emergency humanitarian aid for resisting the Ebola was effectively carried out in time. China provided four rounds of emergency aid with a value of 750 million yuan for affected countries in Western Africa and timely helped in the critical moment, which fully reflected China-Africa friendship of “a friend in need is a friend indeed” and was highly spoken of by the governments and peoples of the recipient countries and universal praise of international society. China also provided batches of emergency humanitarian aid for 17 countries including Syria, Ukraine and Maldives, demonstrating the image of a responsible great power.
VI. Aid modes were innovated in pilot projects. Aid pilot by the non-governmental sector was carried out to accumulate beneficial experience for fully developing nongovernmental aid. The trial implementation of “localization” of complete projects was explored and recipient countries were encouraged to participate more in the aid cooperation. The first pilot of the management mode of “project management+project contracting” was orderly carried out and various supporting measures were steadily promoted.
VII. Efforts were made to optimize foreign aid training. Training reform thoughts and integrated planning had been actively studied, compiling of core and general training materials had been organized, efforts had been made to guide various training organizers to tell good Chinese stories, the theme reporting system and co-sponsor system had been established, “the special project of foreign aid senior degree education” had been prepared for implementation and experts had been sent abroad to guide skills training.
VIII. Foreign aid publicity and communication and cooperation were steadily carried out. Special news conferences on the the Management Methods of Foreign Aid (Trial), assisting African countries in resisting the Ebola and donating to the Multi-Partner Trust Fund of the United Nations against the Ebola were convened and the white paper of 2014 Chinese foreign aid was issued. Efforts were also made to actively participate in important international cooperation conferences such as G20 and the organizations of the United Nations, held the first development dialogue with the International Development Agency of the United States and actively launch international cooperation with such international organizations as the United Nations and the World Health Organization and relevant countries in resisting the Ebola.