On February 16, 2011, the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding on poverty alleviation cooperation between the Poverty Alleviation Office of the Foreign Ministry and the British non-governmental organization Save the Children China Programme was held in the Foreign Ministry. Assistant Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping attended the ceremony. The two sides agreed to implement teachers training and other programs in Jinping and Malipo, the Foreign Ministry's poverty alleviation counties in Yunnan province within the next five years.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Cheng met with Save the Children China Programme Director Mohammed Qazilbash. Cheng spoke highly of the organization's efforts of and contributions to protecting children in China and expressed gratitude for its support for the Foreign Ministry's poverty alleviation. He reiterated that the Chinese government welcomes and supports the activities of overseas NGOs in China and hopes they abide by the Chinese laws and regulations and actively promote China's foreign exchanges and economic and social progress. Qazilbash expressed gratitude to the Foreign Ministry for its long-term support and help to Save the Children China Programme. He expects to further strengthen the bilateral exchanges and cooperation.