David Dollar, the World Bank country director for China and Mongolia, and Austin Hu, the World Bank country deputy director for China and Mongolia, visited the offices of China Internet Information Center (CIIC) and China Development Gateway (CnDG) on Wednesday afternoon.

Dollar joined the Bank in 1990 as an economist for the Asian Region. He was appointed country director for China and Mongolia on July 1, 2004.

This was Dollar's first visit to CIIC.

Under the administration of CIIC, CnDG is a comprehensive website that is part of the Global Development Gateway sponsored by the World Bank.

CnDG began a trial run on September 1, 2001. By May 28, 2002, the website was providing comprehensive information services in both Chinese and English.

Dollar also spoke highly of the developments made by CIIC and CnDG after he was briefed on their working procedures and technologies.

On Wednesday morning, Dollar met with Zhao Qizheng, minister of the State Council Information Office.

Dollar told the minister that CnDG had made much progress in the past four years, especially in relation to the website's introduction of China's poverty-relief efforts and developments to the rest of the world.

(China.org.cn by Unisumoon June 16, 2005)