The ILO in China
About the ILO in China
The ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia was opened in Beijing in 1985, shortly after the start of the country’s reform process. Since the beginning of the country’s transition to a market economy, the ILO has been providing assistance to the Chinese government and social partners, in areas such as labour legislation, employment promotion and social security reform.Over 40 years of reform and opening up, China today is the world’s second largest economy and a global key trade partner. China is home to 1.4 billion inhabitants - the world’s largest population - and nearly a quarter of the global workforce. The cooperation between the ILO and China has extended over time so as to reflect the changes that have taken place in the socio-economic development of the country.
In 2016, a Decent Work Country Programme was agreed between the ILO and the Chinese constituents and a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) for strategic partnership focusing on the four dimensions of the decent work agenda was signed later on. To support the priorities identified, the country office has established cooperation programmes and projects accordingly. Moreover, the ILO works with China to disseminate Chinese successful experiences and good practices that could inspire other nations on their way toward poverty eradication and employment promotion. The South-South Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2018 to advance full employment and decent work in Asian countries in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
In 2019, the ILO further intensified its partnership with China through signing three MOUs to 1) promote decent work, social justice and a human-centred future of work with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2) support occupational safety through South-South Cooperation with the Ministry of Emergency Management , 3) and promote the effective implementation of the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road with the Ministry of Transport.