e-magazine
The Hot Zone
China's newly announced air defense identification zone over the East China Sea aims to shore up national security
Current Issue
· Table of Contents
· Editor's Desk
· Previous Issues
· Subscribe to Mag
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
Reader's Service
Learning with
'Beijing Review'
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Government Documents
Government Documents
UPDATED: January 21, 2010 NO.48 DECEMBER 3, 2009
Meet Challenges Together and Promote Sustainable Development
Remarks at the 17th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting by Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China
November 15, 2009
Share

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,

Dear colleagues,

It gives me great pleasure to meet you once again and exchange views with you on regional and international issues of common interest. I wish to thank Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Singaporean Government for the thoughtful arrangements they have made for the meeting.

The 21 APEC economies together make up 40 percent of the world's population, 54 percent of global economy and 44 percent of international trade. What we say here will attract worldwide attention, and what we agree upon here will have a major impact on the development of the world and this region in particular.

Last year, we made the firm commitment in Lima to uniting as one and taking active measures in response to the international financial and economic crisis. The coordinated efforts of the international community have paid off over the last year. The world economy has shown positive signs of stabilization and rebound. With an economic recovery better than expected, the Asia-Pacific region is likely to become a major driving force in the full recovery of the world economy.

At present, the profound impact of the international financial crisis still persists and the foundation is not yet solid for the world economic upturn. Trade and investment protectionism of various forms has noticeably risen, the intrinsic problems in the world economic system are yet to be solved at source and the effort to fully restore world economic growth is beset by uncertainties and destabilizing factors. In addition, the Doha Round negotiations have been fraught with difficulties and twists and turns, and global issues such as climate change, food security, energy and resource security, public health security and major natural disasters have become more pronounced. These are all daunting challenges to the full recovery and long-term growth of the world economy, including in the Asia-Pacific region.

At this critical juncture, we should all the more get united, follow the principle of openness, cooperation and mutual benefit, strengthen coordination and work together to secure the momentum of world economic recovery and promote balanced and orderly economic growth. At the same time, we should take the financial crisis as an opportunity to take a serious look at the root causes of the crisis and the underlying problems in various economies exposed by this crisis. We should speed up the transformation of economic development patterns, take effective steps to address the fundamental and structural problems in economic development and lay a solid foundation for sound and fast economic growth. To this end, China would like to propose the following:

First, make unremitting efforts to fully restore world economic growth. Leaders at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh made a clear statement to maintain stimulus measures to support economic activity until recovery is assured. All economies should maintain the continuity and stability of their macroeconomic policies and take more solid and effective steps to boost consumption and expand domestic demand. We should firmly uphold a fair, free and open global trading and investment system and maintain the free flow of goods, investment and services. This is essential to the full recovery and long-term development of the world economy.

Second, take a long-term perspective and promote sustainable growth. To realize sustainable economic growth, it is imperative to develop a resource-conserving and environment-friendly mode of production, way of life and mode of consumption, and strike a balance among economic growth, social progress and environmental protection. We should take into consideration the need for both immediate growth and long-term development. While restoring economic growth, we should optimize the energy mix, upgrade industries, develop green economy, and foster new growth areas, thus creating conditions for sustainable economic growth. Developed members should provide financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing members and enable them to get access to climate friendly technologies in order for such technologies to better serve the common interests of mankind. Developing members should, in the light of the actual circumstances, explore a path of sustainable growth suited to their own conditions and development stages.

Third, follow a holistic approach and advocate inclusive growth. To achieve sustainable social development, it is imperative to ensure that economic globalization and economic growth benefit all countries and regions and people of all sectors. An inclusive growth will help address social problems in the course of economic development and lay a solid social foundation for trade and investment liberalization and long-term economic development. While tackling the financial crisis, we should improve the industrial structure, raise the quality of economic growth, increase overall employment and enhance the capacity of fending off crises and risks. We should strengthen the social safety net and focus on resolving issues concerning people's well-being, including education, health care, old age support and housing, in order to achieve the goal of development for the people and by the people and development benefits shared among the people. China will host the Fifth APEC Human Resource Development Ministerial Meeting next year. The meeting will provide a platform for exchanges and cooperation among participants in addressing social problems as a result of the international financial crisis and seeking ways to achieve inclusive growth. I look forward to your active support and participation.

Fourth, engage in comprehensive coordination and pursue balanced growth. Only with balanced and orderly development of the world economy can there be common prosperity. The root cause for world economic imbalance is the yawning development gap between the North and the South. Developing members can become an important force in propelling the full recovery and long-term growth of the world economy. The international community, developed members in particular, should view development issues in a broader and longer-term perspective, deliver as quickly as possible on their pledges on development aid, trade finance and concessional loans, open markets to developing members and help developing members raise the level of economic development. International financial institutions should help developing members maintain financial stability, promote economic growth and enhance their resilience and the capacity of economic repair in the wake of a crisis. Only by accommodating the interests and needs of both developed and developing members and by achieving balanced and coordinated economic growth of both sides can we truly have balanced and orderly development of the world economy.

Dear colleagues,

Global challenges require global responses. Recently, leaders from many countries have gathered together more frequently to discuss ways to address global issues. This shows that the international community has come to recognize that with deepening economic globalization, working together for win-win outcomes is the only option we have. Economies in the Asia-Pacific region, which are diverse and highly complementary to one another, have gained valuable experience in working together to meet challenges. This has put APEC cooperation on a solid footing. In view of the agenda of our meeting, I wish to make a few points on some important issues concerning the economic and social development in today's world and in our region in particular.

—Support sound development of the multilateral trading regime with stronger confidence. To uphold stability of the multilateral trading regime and achieve early success of the Doha Round negotiations will help bring about more open international trade, curb trade protectionism, advance world economic recovery, and therefore serves the common interests of all parties. As a firm supporter of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, China is committed to the establishment of a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading regime and has participated in the Doha Round negotiations with a constructive stance. We are ready to join all other parties in a common effort to resolve the remaining issues at an accelerated pace on the basis of locking in the existing achievements and respecting the Doha mandate, and achieve early comprehensive and balanced outcomes at the negotiations in order to realize the goals of the development round. We should follow through on the commitments we have made, firmly oppose protectionism in all manifestations, guard against and redress all kinds of covert protectionism, reduce and remove trade barriers and address trade frictions through dialogue and consultation.

—Meet the climate challenge through full cooperation. Climate change is a grave challenge to mankind and calls for a concerted international response. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol represent the main channel for the international efforts to meet this challenge, and international cooperation in this respect must follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Developed countries should continue to take the lead in emissions reduction after 2012 in keeping with the principles set out in the UNFCCC and the requirements made in the "Bali Roadmap". They should at the same time provide financial support and technology transfer to developing countries to help them enhance capacity in tackling climate change. Developing countries, on their part, should also endeavor to meet the climate challenge by implementing sustainable development strategies. At the recent United Nations Summit on Climate Change, I stated in clear terms on behalf of the Chinese Government that China will continue to take strong measures to conserve energy, reduce emissions, develop renewable energies and nuclear energy, increase forest carbon sink and build green economy, and contribute its share to the international cooperation against climate change. The Copenhagen Conference is an important meeting for the international community to work together against climate change. China will participate in the negotiations with a positive and constructive attitude and would like to work with all other parties for positive outcomes at the conference. In recent years, APEC has made useful efforts in tackling climate change through cooperation. One good example is the measures APEC has introduced in forest protection in the light of the special features of this region. We hope that all parties will continue to support and participate in the activities of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation established last year, and make joint efforts, including by offering policy recommendations to help increase carbon sink and mitigate climate change in the region.

1   2   Next  



 
Top Story
-Protecting Ocean Rights
-Partners in Defense
-Fighting HIV+'s Stigma
-HIV: Privacy VS. Protection
-Setting the Tone
Most Popular
 
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved