Statement by the Spokesperson of the State Family Planning Commission of China on U.S. Decision not to Grant Funding to UNFPA

Statement by the Spokesperson of
the State Family Planning Commission of China
on U.S. Decision not to Grant Funding to UNFPA

July 23, 2002

We have just learned that the government of the United States of America has decided that the United States will not pay its $34 million annual contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). We feel regret that the U.S. Government has made such a decision that will no doubt produce negative impact on the international population and development program.

During the first half of this year, we successively received a delegation from the British Parliament and a team from the U.S. State Department. Both of them made their independent investigation tours to the UNFPA project areas in China. What we did demonstrates our good faith, frankness and confidence. The outcome of these tours confirms a very important fact that the UNFPA-assisted project in China has been operating in complete conformity with the principle of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (POA of ICPD), and is working hard to help China attaining its goals set by the POA of ICPD.

Everybody knows that the cooperation between the Chinese Government and UNFPA in the fields of population and reproductive health in the past over 20 years has achieved remarkable success. The direct beneficiaries have been the poor people, especially poor women in the rural areas of China. The reproductive health status of women in the project areas has been improved, the cases of reproductive tract infection and induced abortion have been greatly reduced and the rights and interests of the fertile couples have been better protected, through initiating changes in the working perspectives and approaches of the programme managers, eliminating targets and quotas, adopting the practice of informed choice in contraceptive methods, and delivering quality reproductive health and family planning services. The UNFPA-assisted project has received widespread welcome by the people in China.

The Chinese Government will continue to implement the POA of ICPD firmly and steadfastly and try its best to realize the goals set by the POA of ICPD. We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with UNFPA and make our due contribution to the healthy development of the world’s population program.