Chinese president delivers message of peace, openness
President Xi Jinping said China will make contributions toward peace and development in Asia and the world at an international forum that opened on Sunday.
China will vigorously promote development and prosperity in both Asia and the world, Xi said when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2013 in Boao, a coastal town in south China's Hainan Province.
"Countries, whether big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, should all contribute their share in maintaining and enhancing peace," Xi said.
No one should be allowed to throw a region into chaos for selfish gains, he said.
Although growing interactions inevitably lead to friction, it is important that countries resolve their differences through dialogue in the larger interest of the sound growth of their relations, he said.
Xi pledged that China's development will bring even greater benefits to the rest of the world.
"The more China grows, the more development opportunities it will create for the rest of Asia and the world," he said.
In the coming five years, the country's imports will reach about 10 trillion US dollars and its outbound investment will reach 500 billion dollars, according to the president.Its number of outbound tourists may exceed 400 million.
Xi also said China will continue to properly handle differences and frictions with relevant nations.
While upholding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, China will maintain good relations with its neighbors, as well as maintain overall peace and stability in the region, he said.
Xi's appearance is the first he has made at a multilateral diplomatic meeting in China since he was elected president in March.
He recently completed his first foreign tour as China's president, having visited Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo, as well as attended the fifth BRICS summit in Durban, South Africa.
In a group interview held with reporters from BRICS countries before the visit, Xi said China will unswervingly follow a path of peaceful development.
When meeting foreign experts in last December, he also promised that China will never seek hegemony or expansionism.
Xi's speech demonstrated an overlap in the "Chinese dream" of national revival and the global goals of peace and prosperity.
Vuk Jeremic, president of the United Nations General Assembly, suggested in his own speech delivered at the same ceremony that the world should cultivate the virtue of benevolence in international relations.
The key to China's endurance can be found in the teachings of Confucius, who wrote of the virtue of benevolence as a sincere consideration for fellow human beings and a sense of reverence and compassion based on the equal dignity of each in a community of shared values, he said.
SENSE OF GLOBAL COMMUNITY
As the leader of the world's second largest economy, Xi reiterated his vision of an international community in which everyone shares the same fate and can stick together in times of difficulty.
Xi said the global village should be a stage for common development, rather than "an arena where gladiators fight each other," he said. "In pursuing their own development, countries should promote the common development of all and expand common interests."
Xi's comments were echoed by International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, who said all countries and regions should have a greater sense of responsibility for the consequences of their policies for their own nations and regions, as well as for the rest of the world.
Lagarde urged re-accelerating the international cooperation process, warning that the desire to cooperate is abating in comparison to the beginning of the global financial crisis.
Xi also called for openness and inclusiveness to enhance common development of Asia and other regions.
In the past 10 years, trade within Asia has increased from 800 billion US dollars to 3 trillion US dollars, while its trade with other regions has grown from 1.5 trillion to 4.8 trillion US dollars.
"This shows that cooperation in Asia is open and goes hand-in-hand with Asia's cooperation with other regions," Xi said. "Asia should welcome non-Asian countries to play a constructive role in ensuring stability and development in the region. Non-Asian countries should respect Asia's diversity and its long-standing tradition of cooperation."
RELEASING DYNAMICS
In his speech, Xi called for Asian countries to better cooperate and explore development paths suited to their national conditions.
Asia needs to "enhance mutual understanding, build a consensus and enrich cooperation so as to strike a balance among the interests of various parties," Xi said.
The global economy has entered a period of profound readjustment and its recovery remains elusive. The international financial sector is fraught with risk and protectionism is on the rise, Xi warned.
While emerging as an important engine driving world economic recovery and growth, the continent needs to transform and upgrade its development model, adjust its economic structure, make development more cost-effective and make life better for its people, he said.
Sustaining development is still of paramount importance to Asia, because development is the key to solving the major problems and difficulties it faces, he said.
"Achieving common development for all countries remains an uphill battle," he said.
China will increase connectivity with its neighbors through various means, including building a regional financing platform and advancing economic integration within Asia, he said.
The president also pledged that China will promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, step up bilateral investment and explore new areas of cooperation with other countries.
As a non-governmental and non-profit international organization founded in 2001, the BFA works to promote regional economic integration and bring Asian countries closer to their development goals.
The largest forum to be held in the event's history, the 2013 forum is being held under the theme of "Asia Seeking Development for All: Restructuring, Responsibility and Cooperation," attracting more than 2,500 people from around the globe.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the forum reflects changes in the region and demonstrates the enduring significance of regional growth and security.
"For Australians, the Boao Forum is also a particularly significant symbol of the role we seek to play in the region," she said.
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