BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- China and the United Kingdom wrapped up a three-year cooperation project on enhancing China's unemployment insurance here Tuesday, with the closing ceremony imbued with praises and expectations.

    The China-UK Unemployment Insurance Project(UIP), a cooperative project between the Chinese and British governments, was jointly established and implemented by the British Department of International Development and Chinese Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MOLSS) on behalf of respective governments in 2002. This is the first cooperation project between the two countries in this regard.

    "The project's implementation could be described as fruitful with both sides' tireless efforts made in the past three years," said Zhang Xiaojian, vice-minister of MOLSS, at the project's closing ceremony.

    From 2002 to 2005, UIP has brought benefits to at least 25,000 Chinese living in eight pilot regions, including six cities in Liaoning and Sichuan provinces.

    The project also invested 64.4 million yuan (8 million U.S. dollars) to upgrade information technology facilities in the eight pilot regions in a bid to increase the unemployment service efficiency.

    However, "China has a large population to extend the UIP experiences and achievements," said the UIP project team leader Steve Barker, who also expressed willingness to help China in other ways in future. Enditem