China can play a multifaceted role in the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Co-operation Programme (GMS) by sharing experiences in economic reform and development over the past two decades with other GMS nations, the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) top official said yesterday.

Jin Liqun, new vice-president of the ADB, said GMS, a programme initiated in 1992 and co-ordinated by the bank, is to hold its 12th Ministerial Conference today in this picturesque and quaint town in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

GMS covers the countries through which the Lancang River (called Mekong outside of China) flows. They include Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The programme is designed to build closer economic ties among the six countries, including social projects like cross-border epidemic disease control.

GMS is gaining increasing stature for its achievements, Chinese officials said. They intend to make it a model programme for forming a free trade area between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"A major mission of GMS is to alleviate poverty in the region. China has been very active in poverty reduction and we can contribute in that regard," said Jin in an interview.

"China also has rich experiences and lessons in infrastructure development, environmental protection and foreign investment administration, which we can all share in GMS."

Jin, 54, took his new office in August. Before that, he was China's vice finance minister.

"I should have a new perspective as the vice-president of the ADB. But I will try my best to contribute on the basis of my experiences in the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank in the past 23 years," he said. Jin joined the ministry in 1980. During 1988-92, he served as China's alternate executive director in the World Bank.

In addition to economic benefits, Jin said GMS programme has helped enhance mutual trust and better relations among participating nations.

Since GMS' inception last year in Cambodia, 11 key programmes have been launched and about 100 investment and technology assistance projects have been implemented.

About US$2 billion from various funding channels has been mobilized. But ADB officials said that public funds are not sufficient to support the next stage of programme.

Infrastructure projects alone will need US$15-20 billion in the next 10 years.

So the GMS countries have decided to invite the private sector to play a much more active part in the programme, with this becoming one of the major themes of the ministerial conference.