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competitiveness in scientific and technological innovation. We are keenly aware of the difficulties and obstacles on our way ahead and that the developing countries?capacity for making innovation is seriously constrained by various negative factors. However, we are confident that the Asian countries will be able to overcome resistance and difficulties, press ahead with institutional, scientific, technological and industrial innovation and inject new vigor and vitality into the economic and social development in Asia.
Fourth, conserve resources and protect the environment. To conserve resources and protect the environment is an integral part of Asia's development endeavors. Asia is in the process of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. To balance resource conservation and environmental protection on the one hand and industrialization on the other is a major challenge Asia faces, just as the rest of the world does. We have three options. The first is to continue to pursue the traditional path of industrialization characterized by massive consumption of resources and energy. The second is to discourage developing countries from pursuing industrialization and modernization or even force them to give up such pursuit on the ground of resource and environmental constraints. The third is to pursue a new strategy for industrialization, which is hi-tech driven, resource-efficient and environment-friendly, yields high economic returns and fully taps the strengths of human resources. It is obvious that the first choice is not workable and the second one is unjust. We should choose the third one. In the course of economic development, the Asian countries and regions are making effort to conserve resources and energy and protect the ecosystem. They are pursuing a new development path and they are actively involved in international and regional cooperation in resources and energy, environmental protection and climate change, thus making their fair share of contribution to global sustainable development. Asia deserves credit for what it has done in these areas. Here, I call on developed countries to provide more assistance for developing countries in technological transfer, funding and personnel training and take the initiative in promoting global sustainable development.
Fifth, promote harmony in Asia. Harmony is fundamental to Asia's development. There are over 1,000 ethnic groups in Asia who speak over 2,000 languages. Since the ancient times, different civilizations have developed in Asia through mutual influence and integration and formed a tradition that values harmony. Under the changed circumstances today, we should carry forward this fine tradition, respect the diversity of civilizations, encourage dialogue on an equal footing among civilizations, expand common ground while shelving differences, draw on each other's strength and promote democracy in international relations. The right of a country to choose independently its path of development and follow its domestic and foreign policies and to equal participation in international affairs should be respected. Big countries should respect small ones, the strong should support the weak, and the rich should help the poor. Developing countries should give top priority to development and pay greater attention to social development and improving people's well-being. They should, while upholding independence and sovereignty, follow an opening-up policy to strengthen, through diversified channels and means, exchanges and cooperation with other countries and regions, absorb all that is best in human civilization and benefit from the advanced development practices of other countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
China's development is inseparably linked with the common interests of mankind. China has one fifth of the world's population. If China fails to develop itself and the life of 1.3 billion Chinese people is not improved, the common interests of mankind will be seriously affected. Therefore, by developing itself and realizing the objective of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, China is making a historical contribution to the development and well-being of mankind.
In the past three decades of reform and opening-up, China's economy has maintained an average annual growth rate of 9.6 percent. China's GDP reached about $2.63 trillion in 2006, ranking fourth in the world. China's export and import hit $1.76 trillion, making it the third largest trading nation in the world. China's development has reached a new historical starting point. China's sustained and rapid development has benefited not only its own people, but also the people of Asia and the world.
-Since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China has imported nearly $500 billion of goods every year and created about 10 million jobs for the exporting countries and regions concerned. China's import maintained strong momentum of growth in 2006, reaching $791.6 billion. The figure included $525.5 billion, or 66.4 percent of its total import, from other Asian countries and regions.
-China has absorbed a total of $685 billion of paid-in foreign investment since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy. Over 600,000 foreign-funded companies have been set up in China. Over 480 of the Fortune 500 companies have made investment in China. Foreign-funded enterprises in China remitted overseas $280 billion of profits from 1990 to 2005. The non-financial direct overseas investment made by Chinese enterprises has increased at an annual rate of 43 percent since 2002. It reached $73.3 billion at the end of 2006, of which 61 percent was made in Asia.
-One hundred and thirty-two countries and regions are now designated destinations for Chinese tourists, and China has become Asia's No.1 source of tourists. In 2006, 34.52 million people from China's mainland traveled overseas, of whom 28.8 million were for private reasons, an increase of 14.6 percent over the previous year. Eight of the 10 most popular tourist destinations in terms of first overseas stop for tourists from China's mainland are in Asia.
On the other hand, we are also keenly aware that China's per-capita GDP is only $2,000, ranking behind 100th place in global listing. China still faces many challenges. They include low 1iving standards, imbalances in the development between rural and urban areas, among different regions and between economic and social development, mounting pressure caused by its huge population as well as pressure on resources Hainan, April 21, 2007and the environment, and problems affecting the livelihood of its people such as employment, social welfare and income distribution. China remains a developing country which has a long way to go before it can achieve modernization. Only by developing itself can China meet these challenges. We are committed to taking a socialist path with Chinese features that is suited to our national condition, keeps with the trend of the times and reflects the will of the people. We pursue scientific, harmonious and peaceful development under the guidance of the scientific thinking on development, and we are committed to turning China into a prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and a modernized socialist country. This is a path of development we have embarked upon in keeping with China's national condition and the trend of the times.
Scientific development is about achieving people-oriented, all-round, coordinated and sustainable development. Harmonious development aims to achieve integrated and coordinated development in accordance with the overall plan of building socialism with Chinese features. And peaceful development calls for achieving China's development by upholding world peace and upholding world peace through China's development.
We should put into practice the scientific thinking on development. This means we should be guided by the scientific thinking on development in every step we take in the whole process of promoting economic and social development. We must make great efforts to adjust China's economic structure, change the mode of economic growth, strengthen resource conservation and environmental protection, promote reform and opening up and independent innovation, enhance social progress and improve people's livelihood. In short, we should ensure that China's economic and social development advances in a scientific way. Growth rate is important to our economy, but we also need to see growth rate in a new light. What we seek is a growth rate that ensures balanced economic structure, good economic returns and efficient use of resources and protects the environment. It should be a growth rate that will improve economic performance and sustain steady development. It should be a growth rate that ensures balance among major sectors, brings more benefit to our people and boosts full progress in social harmony.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
The Chinese Government gives high priority to independent innovation. Our goal is to turn China into an innovation-based country by 2020, and we have formulated the Outline of the Middle- and Long-Term Scientific and Technological Development Program to achieve this goal. The Outline sets the following targets for 2020: First, scientific and technological advances should contribute to over 60 percent of economic growth; second, dependence on imported technologies should be brought down to less than 30 percent; and third, research and development expenditures should increase to over 2.5 percent of GDP. To achieve the goal of building an innovation-based country, China takes enhancing capacity for independent innovation as the strategic basis for advancing science and technology and the central link in adjusting the economic structure and changing the pattern of economic growth. It is a national strategy we pursue in all endeavors of modernization. The steps we are taking include the following: fire the nation's spirit of innovation, train high-caliber people with innovative drive, foster an institutional environment that encourages innovation, ensure that enterprises are the main driver of innovation, accelerate the commercialization of R&D advances, increase policy incentives to encourage innovation, establish a system of evaluating innovation, increase input in science and technology, encourage inventions and patents and boost the contribution of scientific and technological advances to economic growth. At the same time, we adhere to the basic state policy of opening up and expanding international exchanges and cooperation, focusing on introducing advanced technologies, managerial experience and high-caliber personnel from overseas. We also encourage multinational corporations to set up R&D centers in China and conduct R&D with Chinese partners. The Chinese Government will protect the lawful rights and interests of all foreign investors and intellectual property rights holders in accordance with law.
Harmony between man and nature is a value we deeply hold in China, as expressed in the ancient Chinese saying that "one should not drain the pond to catch fish, nor burn up whole tracts of forests to hunt animals.?To ensure sustainable development, the Chinese Government pursues environmental protection and resource conservation as a key state policy, sustainable development as a major strategy and the building of a resource conservation and environment-friendly society as a national goal. It formulated China's Agenda 21 and Program of Action for Sustainable Development in China in the Early 21st Century. In this year's Report on the Work of the Government, energy and land conservation, waste reduction and environmental protection were listed as areas where breakthrough should be made in changing the pattern of economic growth. Once again, the report calls for taking steps to meet the following targets in 2010, namely, a 20-percent reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP and a 10-percent reduction in discharge of main pollutants of the 2005 level. China also takes an active part in international cooperation in resources and the environment. It has acceded to many international conventions, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. China fulfills its due obligations in a highly responsible way.
China has been and will remain actively involved in promoting the peaceful development of both Asia and the world. We will continue to take the path of peaceful development and pursue the strategy of opening up for mutual benefit and win-win progress. We are committed to building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity. We will continue to follow the principle of fostering friendship and partnership with China's neighbors and the policy of building an amicable, stable and prosperous neighborly environment and enhance friendly relations and cooperation with other Asian countries and regions. We will strive to foster a peaceful and secure environment in Asia, enhance regional cooperation and promote the development and prosperity of all Asian countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
To ensure Asia's sustainable development is a historical mission and the call of both the times and our peoples. Let us join hands and work for a bright future of peace, cooperation and harmony in Asia.
In conclusion, I wish the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference full success!
Thank you.
Hainan, April 21, 2007 |
