WU Xiaoling, a former deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan, China, today. Photo: Chief Adviser GOB

HAINAN (China), March 27, 2025 (BSS) - WU Xiaoling, a former deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan, China today.

During the meeting, Xiaoling spoke about Prof Yunus's role in poverty alleviation through microcredit programmes and social business initiatives, informing that she was an admirer of the Nobel Peace Laureate.

"Your contribution to eradicating poverty is truly inspiring. I sincerely wish that under your leadership Bangladesh shines."

Even though China and Bangladesh are at different levels in terms of poverty, Xiaoling said, Prof Yunus-founded Grameen Bank's motto had offered good experience to Chinese people and for the development of the Asian country.

During the meeting, Xiaoling introduced Prof Yunus to a young professor, Zhu Xufeng, the Dean at the School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM) and Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University (TUSDG). 

Prof ZHU Xufeng invited Prof Yunus to visit Tsinghua University and speak to the students and share his views with them. 

He requested to build collaboration with the Yunus Centre for social business. 

"There are 111 Yunus Centres in 40 countries; they all share a global network. We would love to be a part of the network," he said. 

Prof Yunus said he would love to come to Tsinghua University and talk to the students. 

"Also, we want to invite you to visit Bangladesh on our Annual Social Business Day in June in Dhaka, Bangladesh," he said.

"We are also promoting and mobilising intellectual resources, and youth power must be at the centre of our collective actions. 

"We must lay the foundation for a new civilisation: a self-preserving and self-reinforcing society. We must create a counter-culture based on a zero-waste lifestyle," he added.

Former Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China Xiaoling served as Chair and the dean of the PBC School of Finance (PBCSF), Tsinghua University. 

As a joint venture between the university and PBC, PBCSF has become one of China's top world-class financial education institutions and centres of financial research.

Xiaoling made great contributions to the development of Chinese finance, playing a pivotal role in defending against the 1997 crisis as the first female administrator of SAFE in history.

Xiaoling's achievements have also been recognised by the world, with her being twice awarded as one of the "World's 50 Most Watched Businesswomen of the Year" by the Wall Street Journal. 

She was also twice nominated as one of the "Most Influential Women in the World" by Forbes.