A memorandum of understanding was signed last week by the US Agency for International Development’s acting administrator Alfonso Lenhardt and China's minister of commerce Gao Hucheng. It commits China and the US to the creation of a common framework to advance global development.

“This agreement also serves as a starting point for enhanced collaboration on the new global goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Lenhardt.

“As we move forward, USAID believes our development cooperation with China will continue to deepen based on mutual respect for local partners and international standards, strong and consistent communication, and a shared commitment to results and accountability.”

The MOU identifies areas where there the two nations feel there is a scope for development through collaboration. These include food security and nutrition, climate-smart agriculture, public health security, humanitarian assistance, and disaster preparedness, areas that promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.