China, with its huge resources and success in reducing poverty, should lead developing Asian countries in attaining the Asia-Pacific region's Millennium Development Goals (MDG), a senior official of the United Nations Development Programme said Wednesday.

"China is the champion of the Millennium Development Goals," UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Ajay Chhibber told a briefing after the launch of the regional report entitled " Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in an Era of Global Uncertainty". The report was prepared by the UNDP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

China has been on track in attaining most of its MDG targets including slashing poverty rate from 60 percent to 16 percent in 2005, reducing malnutrition, halting the spread of HIV and AIDS and providing universal primary education. China has also allocated a quarter of its fiscal stimulus package to social protection programs such as allocating for low rent housing and improving rural living standards.

Chhibber noted that China has set "very important positive example" to other countries who are yet to fulfill their MDG commitments. But more than that, China, owing to its substantial resources, can also help other developing countries attain MDG targets.

"China can play an important role (so that Asia) can achieve its MDG (by 2015). China has large (foreign exchange) reserves ( and a) large (budget) for international cooperation programs," he said.

This is especially crucial now, Chhibber said, given that the global meltdown threatens the recent gains that Asian countries have posted in attaining their MDG.

The joint report released Wednesday warned that the global economic crisis could trap an additional 21 million people in the Asia-Pacific region in extreme poverty, living on less than 1.25 U.S. dollars a day.