LONDON -- China has made "huge progress" in the past 70 years and the momentum of the country's development remains strong with "tremendous opportunities," said Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield.

"The country has developed tremendously. I think the people of China should be very proud of that achievement," Lamberts told Xinhua in an interview ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls on Oct. 1.

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PHNOM PENH -- "Over the past 70 years, China has achieved enormous development, and its development has not only brought glory to the Chinese people, but also benefited ASEAN, Asia and the world," Cambodian government chief spokesman Phay Siphan said during a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The chief spokesman said the world's second largest economy is a main engine of global economic growth and that its role on the international arena has become bigger.

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UNITED NATIONS -- "The reason that the poverty (rate) has fallen around the world is not because of great achievements in Africa, and not because of great achievements in other parts of Asia, but mostly because China has taken 700 million, or a higher figure of people, out of poverty and given them the chance to become part of an earning middle class, with resources to spend and free of poverty," said Gordon Brown, Britain's former prime minister.

He made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua days ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

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ADDIS ABABA -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Saturday urged central African countries to exert more efforts on effective planning and operationalization of plans and strategies through strong policies and reforms so as to realize major development aspirations.

The urgent call was made by Mama Keita, Head of Reforms and Policies for Economic Diversification Section at the ECA, as she emphasized that "almost all Central African countries do plan but that there's a tendency not to use the instrument at its full potential."

"It's not an economic miracle per se. It's the result of effective and efficient planning and implementation," Keita said during a high-level meeting organized by the ECA under the theme of "Facilitating the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through Development Planning." Enditem

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