The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will provide its full support and help to the Chinese government, allowing the country to improve its handling of migration issues through rigorous training and improvement, said visiting Director-General Brunson McKinley Tuesday.

McKinley spoke to Xinhua that the IOM would attempt to get the Chinese government to sign off on its ideas and programs, but instead it will provide problem-solving advice, in such areas as personnel training.

The IOM marked the inauguration of its China office with a ceremony on Monday. McKinley described the office’s purpose in maintaining close contact with every branch of Chinese government and society.

During his five-day visit to China, McKinley met with senior officials at the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, describing the talks as "good, open, friendly and informative", creating good initiative for future cooperation.

China has become an important partner in migration issues as it has come to realize the preparation it must undergo to appropriately tackle these issues, said McKinley.

McKinley also visited the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences during his visit to Beijing. His China tour rounds out an Asian tour for the IOM Director-General who previously visited Japan, the Philippines and Korea, exchanging similar views with government officials there.

The Geneva-based IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization for migration and works closely with governments and NGOs worldwide.

IOM established contacts with China a decade ago, with China attaining observer status with the organization in 2001.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2007)