Li Wei, President of the Chinese Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), and Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), signed an endorsement of China's joining the OECD Development Center, in the presence of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, on July 1, at OECD headquarters in Paris, France.

The Center is a special body of the OECD where both developed and developing countries can share knowledge and hold dialogues on an equal basis. It is also the only subsidiary body of OECD to accept non-OECD countries as members. China's entry gives it 49 member countries, 27 of them OECD countries and 22 emerging economies and developing countries including China, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa.

China's official entry to the OECD Development Center means a new step in cooperating with the OECD. DRC will join other Chinese governmental departments and research institutes in working with the OECD Development Center to share ideas and lessons with other developed and developing countries.

Premier Li met with Gurría before the signing ceremony and discussed further work with Mario Pezzini, Director of the OECD Development Center.

Taking part in related activities were Cheng Guoqiang, Director-General of the DRC's International Cooperation Department, Jiang Xiheng, its Vice-Director-General, Hou Yongzhi, Director-General of DRC's Department of Development Strategy and Regional Economy, and Gong Sen, Director-General of its Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources.