World Bank, China launch urbanization research

BEIJING -- The World Bank will launch joint research with China on urbanization to help developing countries deal with the continuing massive influx of people into cities, Jim Yong Kim, the bank president, announced on Friday.

By 2030, it is expected that two thirds of Chinese will live in cities, which means 14 million people will become urbanites every year over the next two decades.

"Urbanization has accelerated economic growth and raised living standards, but also brought tremendous challenges to the environment, food security as well as the delivery of healthcare and education," Kim said.

Kim, on his first visit to China since becoming the bank's president in July, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Xie Xuren, the country's finance minister, on the establishment of a knowledge hub.

This resource will aim to spread China's experience in development to other nations, and the urbanization study will be the hub's first program, according to Kim.

Cai Jinyong, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, hailed the progress China has made in reforming its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) over the last 15 years.

Developing the private sector is the key to deepening SOE reforms and improving the competitiveness of the Chinese economy, Cai said.