国内英语新闻:UK-China initiative funds poverty alleviation project in northwest China

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The City of London and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) have joined hands in supporting a poverty alleviation project in China.

The UK-China Charity Initiative, initiated by the CCCUK and the City of London, donated 190,000 yuan (about 28,381 U.S. dollars) on Thursday to help a rural school in northwest China's Shaanxi Province build a multi-media room for its students.

The multi-media space allows students to "engage in remote teaching and digital exchange," and prepares them for the digital age, according to Peter Estlin, Lord Mayor of the City of London, who is on a six-day working visit to China.

The room will be used for academic reports, video conferences, and cultural events for teachers and students in the school, seeking to help poor students in rural areas expand their international horizons.

It also aims to promote the establishment of friendly ties between schools of the two sides, integrate international resources, and develop innovative ideas in poverty alleviation, according to the initiative.

"UK-China Charity Initiative is a prime example of the mutual benefit that comes from strong partnerships between our two countries," Estlin said at the donation ceremony in Beijing.

The UK-China Charity Initiative was launched in December 2018 to create a platform for charity with the theme of "Building Harmony Together."

The initiative also seeks to build a bridge between China and Britain through charity, encouraging British-Chinese companies to contribute to the public welfare in both countries.

It showcases "a new type of partnership" between China and Britain with "long-term commitment that will carry on many years and many projects," said Wu Lin, secretary general of CCCUK.

"Partnership is not limited to trade or investment areas, and we are also thinking about the broad scope including charity and public welfare," she added.