Xi outlines priorities in East Asia regional cooperation
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Xinhua, December 24, 2011
Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, speaking at an evening banquet with overseas Chinese in Thailand here on Friday, outlined a package of priorities in promoting East Asia regional cooperation under the current situation.
As the world in a period of undergoing huge development, drastic reforms and re-adjustment, the role of East Asia is growing more and more important, presenting China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asian countries with new opportunities and challenges in development, Xi said.
Xi urged all sides to seize the opportunities to enhance China-ASEAN relations, deepen East Asia cooperation and achieve an all-win situation.
In promoting East Asia regional cooperation under the current situation, it is essential to grasp the following four priorities:
FIRST, ADHERENCE TO THE LEADING ROLE OF ASEAN IN REGIONAL COOPERATION:
ASEAN is the center for East Asian cooperation, its cooperation ideas and practices had proved practical and effective. The healthy development of East Asia cooperation relied on the leading role of the ASEAN, and China sticks to this stance unswervingly.
SECOND, DEEPENING PRAGMATIC COOPERATION IN ECONOMY AND TRADE, INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION AND OTHER FIELDS:
China will continue to increase imports from southeast Asian countries, encourage more Chinese companies to invest in ASEAN countries, and expand mutual interests, he said. China will actively support infrastructure facilities construction in East Asian countries including Thailand, so as to improve communication and transportation, and facilitate the flow of products, capital, information, personnel exchanges and social-economic development.
JOINT MAINTENANCE OF REGIONAL SECURITY AND STABILITY IN EAST ASIA:
China upholds the principle that disputed affairs in the region should be dealt with in a peaceful way and through dialogue, under the principles of good neighborliness, equality and mutual benefit. China will closely coordinate with Thailand to maintain transportation order on the Mekong River and guarantee the safety of vessels and their crewmembers.
FOURTH, ACTIVE REFERENCE TO BENEFICIAL EXPERIENCE IN COOPERATION IN OTHER REGIONS:
In today's open world, development in East Asia is an integral part of the world as a whole. We should apply an open-minded and practical attitude to further strengthen cooperation between China and ASEAN, ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea, as well as the East Asia Summit. China welcomes the constructive role of experts from outside this region, while at the same time hopes they will respect the region's autonomy and diversity, and pay attention to the comfort of different sides, he said.
Xi said, as Thailand becomes the coordinating country for China-ASEAN relations in 2012, China wants to closely cooperate with the Thai side to push forward China-ASEAN relations and East Asia cooperation, and make concerted efforts toward peace, stability and prosperity in Asia.
In the 30 years since China adopted its reform and opening-up policy, and especially since joining the World Trade Organization 10 years ago, China has made remarkable progress, the vice president said.
China's gross domestic product reached 5.88 trillion U.S. dollars in 2010, up more than fourfold from 1978, with its share of the world economy up from 1.8 to 9.3 percent. Total volume of imports and exports amounted to 2.97 trillion dollars in 2010, or 143 times higher than in 1978, he said.
China has become the world's second largest economy, the biggest exporter, second largest importer and biggest emerging economy. The country has become the first developing country to realize the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people living in poverty, he said.
Xi said China has succeeded in exploring a path of poverty reduction with its own characteristics, and solidly solved the problem of feeding its vast population of 1.3 billion.
The progress China had made should be attributed to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics it has chosen, he said. The path has profoundly altered the destiny of 1.3 billion Chinese people, and has positively influenced global and regional development. China would firmly stick to this path, according to the vice president.
In his speech, the Chinese vice president highlighted strong ties between China and Thailand, lauding the two countries as good neighbors, good partners, good friends and good kin.
In the face of natural disasters such as the major earthquakes in China and the devastating flood that hit Thailand recently, people of the two countries have helped each other over the difficulties, Xi said.
In the political field, the two countries respect and trust each other, Xi said.
Leaders of the two countries visit each other frequently like family. The two sides have closely coordinated with each other on bilateral ties and major international and regional affairs, and understand and support each other on issues related to each other's key interests, he said.
Economically, the two countries have carried out mutually beneficial cooperation and realized common development, Xi said.
Trade volume between China and Thailand reached 52.95 billion U.S. dollars in 2010. China has become Thailand's second largest trading partner, the biggest export market, and the second largest import source.
In the field of humanity and culture, the two countries learn from each other and make headway jointly, Xi said.
As a result of this cooperation, 12 Confucius institutes and 11 Confucius classes have been set up in Thailand, he said.
A big number of Chinese volunteers come to Thailand to teach Chinese, while there is a craze among Thailand's young students to learn the Chinese language, he said.
Thai movies and TV series as well as Thai cuisine have become very popular among the Chinese people, Xi said.
In 2010, individual visits between the two countries totaled 1.65 million. Two-way flights between China and Thailand reached 190 per week.
Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was elected one of the Top 10 international friendly people by the Chinese public.
Xi said all the exchanges and cooperation have demonstrated China and Thailand are as close as relatives.
To expand reciprocal cooperation between China and Thailand is in the basic interests of both peoples and also conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xi said.
The Chinese vice president arrived here Thursday for a three-day official visit to Thailand, the second and last stop of an Asia tour that also took him to Vietnam.
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