Consul General Tang Zhongdong met with Community Leaders Ms. Chen Yuling, President of Guangzhou Trade and Culture Exchange Association in South Africa and Mr. Lu Weiliang, President of Shunde Chamber of Commerce in South Africa on 23rd October. Mr. Tang accepted their donations, R30,000 of each, as education subsidies to the poor counties in southwest China Yunnan province who poverty alleviation is assigned to be directly supported by the MFA. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Poverty Alleviation Office, Mr. Tang issued certificates of honor to the two donors.

Mr. Tang expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Chen Yuling and Mr. Lu Weiliang for their enthusiastic support for the MFA's poverty alleviation work over the years. He said that over 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has lifted about 800 million people out of poverty. President Xi Jinping has made instructions on poverty alleviation work on many occasions. The Chinese government has made a pledge that by 2020, absolute poverty, which has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years, will be eradicated. It would make a major contribution to global poverty reduction.

Mr. Tang encouraged the overseas Chinese in South Africa to keep on supporting China's poverty alleviation, participating in this great historical process in various ways, vigorously promoting the construction of a harmonious and safe overseas Chinese community, and promote the friendly relations between China and South Africa.