Being an international foundation, operating as a co-ordination platform between the Government of the People's Republic of China and various international funding institutions for development projects within the PRC, the Asian Development Assistance Board operates strictly as an apolitical, non-commercial and non-profit making entity.

Registered and duly organized under the laws of the Kingdom of The Netherlands and under the Dacon Systems of the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank, the ADAB does not manage development funds but mainly assists in the implementation and co-ordination of foreign-funded development projects in the People's Republic of China.

As such, the ADAB foundation also provides field support, counsel, aid and active guidance to foreign institutional, environmental and industrial developers, consultants and investors entering China.