Chinese Politburo Member visits Grameen Bank
Lu Hao Secretary General of the Communist Party of China Gansu Committee, holding the rank of minister, and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China today called on Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus at Grameen Bank headquarters today.Secretary Lu, accompanied by a delegation of nine persons including Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Zhang Xianyi, visited Grameen with the primary aim to thank Professor Yunus and Grameen for the programs set up by Grameen Trust (GT) in Gansu which have been successfully providing microcredit loans to the farmers in the province.
As Governor of Gansu Secretary Lu Hao had promoted these GT programs in Gansu's Tongwei county and Dingxi City of Anding District to spread it throughout the province. He discussed in details about the positive impact that microcredit had made on the incomes and lives of the farmers and their families. He said that the program had become an example, that could be extended to all 31 provinces of China, especially the poorer western provinces of the country.
He was briefed by Professor Yunus that Grameen Trust has just received this month a licence from the Chinese Government to operate microcredit programs in Inner Mongolia, and expected do so soon in Sichuan. Professor Yunus thanked the Secretary for his visit, and also briefed him about the social business activities of Grameen and their potential to address problems related to agriculture and healthcare in China. Professor H.I. Latifee, Managing Director of Grameen Trust was also present at the meeting.
Secretary Lu presented handicrafts made by Chinese microcredit borrowers to Professor Yunus and invited him to visit Gansu Province and continue efforts to expand microcredit in China.
Secretary Lu Hao was first appointed to be the Communist Party Secretary of Gansu in April 2007. He was re-elected to this post at the 11th Gansu Provincial People's Congress on January 26, 2008. He is expected to leave Bangladesh later today.
