UNV started its cooperation with Chinese government in 1981. China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) under Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) is the official counterpart of UNV/UNDP in China. Beijing International Volunteers Association (BIVA) is designated as the implementing agency for UNV program in China.

Over the past 20 years, UNV has sent over 210 international UN volunteers to China. They come from not only those developed countries such as America, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, etc., but also from other developing countries such as Philippines, Burma, Mauritius, etc. Working in wide technical areas, they have made valuable contributions in the economic and social development of China. Particularly during the early stage of Reform and Opening Up, the international UNVs played an important role in English education and improving the capacity of language teaching. With the deepening of the Reform and Opening Up and rapid development of China, English teaching has given ways to building national and institutional capacity to support human sustainable development after 1997. Untill now, there has been more than 40 International UNVs recruited under the UNV programme and other programs of UNDP and international agencies, serving in various development areas in China such as poverty alleviation, agro-technology popularization, micro-finance, environmental protection, recycled energy ultilization, women development, cultural relics protection, program management and others.

China has also sent more than 160 Chinese UN volunteers though UNV Programme to developing countries in the field of agriculture, water conservation, medical care, computer and economic management and social insurance and etc. The Chinese UNVs have been widely recognized and acknowledged by the host countries as well as UNV Headquarter for being diligent and conscious in serving for the local people in need. They also have played a positive role in promoting and strengthening the cooperation between China and other developing countries.

We are working to increase the number of Chinese UNVs dispatching to other developing countries. China is the largest developing country in the world, with abundant human resources. With more than 20 years of practical experiences since the opening up policy and economic reform, some technologies and experiences are very useful and acceptable to other developing countries. The foreign language proficiency and quality of Chinese professionals both in terms of technology and management have been greatly improved, which have laid a good foundation for China to provide qualified professionals as UNVs to serve in developing countries.

In order to support our national poverty alleviation programme and the strategy to shift the economic development from coastal region to central and western regions, and meanwhile with reference to the criteria for UNVs, in 1997, China initiated the National UNV scheme that was designed to meet the development needs of the central and western regions. Under this scheme, qualified personnel specialized in science and technology as well as management have been recruited and dispatched to poverty-stricken areas in China. Since June in 1997, more than 50 national volunteers have been dispatched to areas around the country, such as Hohhot City and Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Zhengzhou City in Henan Province, Enshi City in Hubei Province, Yilong County in Sichuan Province, Wanzhou City in Chongqing, Xingren City in Guizhou Province, Qingdao City in Shandong Province, etc. They serve in high-tech agro-technology popularization for poverty alleviation, animal husbandry, environmental protection, legal aid, biodiversity sustainable development, water conservation, micro finance, gender development, information communication technology, and etc. The National UNV scheme makes good impacts that promotes effectively economic and social development in the poor rural areas, improves the living standard of local people, safeguard legal right of poor people and strengthens the capacity of local communities..