Deputy National Director of UNDP

　　Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, good morning!

　　The strength and development of a city can best signify its urbanization development. The well-developed urbanization can bring in economic and urban transformation, and it can also support the government economy on policy and investment, achieving the goal of material transformation. And meanwhile, the poverty rate can be lowered and the environmental problems can be improved.

　　However, unreasonable urban development will have a very serious impact on the social and economic development. Unreasonable land utilization issues like limited green areas, a large amount of assarted streets, over constructed highways as well as the low-quality buildings, will all badly influence the development process of urbanization.

　　From 2000 to 2010, population density in nearly 60% regions has decreased in over 600 cities of China, and the above-mentioned problems in the urbanization process are covered in the reasons. Problems in the urbanization process (like limited green areas, a large amount of assarted streets and over constructed highways) will have a very bad impact on the living standards of urban residents and so it is to the development. By 2020, over 100 million urbanized residents will be attracted to cities in China, and 15 million people will need residence, workplace, school, shopping mall, hospital and a series of related urbanization services. Therefore, it is predicted that by 2025, over 40 billion square meters spaces will be needed for industrial, commercial and residential use.

　　In fact, China can play a leading role on the aspect of global urbanization transformation to establish an urbanization environment more livable. Integrated methods could be taken into consideration, with the combination of land utilization and transportation methods, as well as the combination of natural protection and cultural heritage, we can limit the unplanned urban expansion and seize the opportunity to develop renewable resources and green buildings. To our delight, Chinese leaders have shown their determination to realize the goal of urbanization in the national new-type urbanization plan.

　　The UNDP Representative Office in China has supported to a large extent in the transformation process. For example, in 2013, the UNDP Representative Office in China together with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has signed the 2013 China Human Development Report: Sustainable and Livable City—— Step forward to the Ecological Civilization, and the report of China national park was entitled Sustainable and Livable Development Cities, with  the development of ecological civilization as general direction. Besides, the UNDP has cooperated with News Agency to issue “The Report on Urban Sustainable Development written by Zhu Dajian, professor of Shanghai Tongji University. In the report, with the combination of the mentioned contents in UNDP’s report about China national park, the principle that the urban development should combine with urban development ecology index has been proposed. In China's overall situation, I hope to enhance public  recognition and comprehension of the excellent cases in the urbanization development process.

　　Last week, together with China Law Society, we have released a report on the issue of women’s rights on the aspect of land utilization, exploring issues about the land rights of women's from various levels and perspectives, and paid attention to the issues of urbanization and compensation of land acquisition. All these issues have just reminded us that the rural-urban relationship and their development should be close.

　　And here, I would like to encourage  leaders, experts and people working in the field of urbanization present here to communicate actively, share your ideas, propose some suggestions and share the successful experience of urbanization from home and abroad.

　　Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Ministry of Land and Resources, MOHURD as well as CIUDSRC for hosting this summit! From my own perspective, on behalf of the UNDP Representative Office in China, we are going to accomplish our task and endeavor to prepare for more meaningful and influential communications and tasks like this summit.

　　I wish this summit a great success! Thanks a lot!