Wen's speech at China-Eurasia Expo opening session
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E-mail Xinhua, September 3, 2012
Third, we need to advance cooperation in cross-border infrastructure to accelerate the connectivity progress. Sound infrastructure can promote people-to-people exchanges and help drive economic cooperation and trade. We should earnestly carry out such projects as the China-Central Asia natural gas pipelines and the China-Kazakhstan oil pipelines, and push forward the projects of new energy pipelines between China and Russia. We should accelerate the building of major transport projects, including the highway linking western China and western Europe, the China-Tajikistan highway and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway. We should effectively operate and maintain the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe railway, a recently opened logistics route between Asia and Europe. We should advance regional telecommunications network integration to shorten the geographical distance between Eurasian countries. China will continue to provide financing support for cross-border infrastructure construction.
Fourth, we need to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges to enhance friendship between our peoples. We should expand dialogue and exchanges between civilizations, respect each other's cultural traditions and religious customs, and promote mutual learning and harmonious coexistence. We should organize more exhibitions of art and cultural achievement, and translate and publish more fine works. We should send more students to each other's countries, pool resources to build joint universities and strengthen cooperation in human resources training. We should encourage our peoples to visit other Eurasian countries, host diverse activities for people-to-people friendship and facilitate the establishment of more sister provinces/states relations. We should advance friendly exchanges between academic institutions, youth organizations and news media. Stronger cultural and people-to-people exchanges will expand the mutual understanding and common views among the Eurasian people, strengthen their bond of amity and bolster the friendly relations between the countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Located in the heartland of the Eurasia continent, Xinjiang has long been the passage for economic and cultural exchanges between China and Western countries since ancient times. It was from here that the Silk Road extended to other Eurasian countries. Today, as China opens up in an all-round way, Xinjiang's geographical, cultural and resource advantages have become more prominent in the course of China's opening up to the west and along the border areas. Last year, the Chinese government upgraded the 19-year-old Urumqi Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Fair into China-Eurasia Expo. The aim is to build a new bridge of friendship and cooperation across the Eurasian continent, lay a new passage for China's opening-up to the west and make Xinjiang a gateway for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and other Eurasian countries. We should make full use of its geographical advantage to develop modes of trade that suit the local conditions, including border trade, border barter and tourist shopping. Xinjiang has 17 state-level open ports and 15 state-level industrial clusters including the Kashgar and Horgos economic development zones. The central government will introduce preferential policies in land, taxation, import and export, infrastructure and other areas in Xinjiang. We welcome enterprises of all countries to come and invest here. We will not only "bring in" investment, but also encourage Chinese enterprises to "go global," expanding investment in Eurasian countries. We will explore the possibility of setting up a China-Central Asia economic cooperation fund and an agricultural cooperation fund and building several economic cooperation and trade zones and agricultural demonstration centers in neighboring countries. Xinjiang's reform, opening-up and development will not only benefit people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, but also bring more development opportunities to Eurasian countries.
There were no ready roads in the beginning; they were created through persistent effort by the trail blazers. Two thousand years ago, our ancestors overcame numerous hardships and blazed the world-famous Silk Road. It represents a glory shared by all Eurasian people. In the new century, Eurasian countries and peoples should draw strength from our historical heritage and, in the same pioneering spirit of our ancestors and with greater confidence, proudly assume the responsibility entrusted by history and work together for new glory of the Silk Road and a better future of the Eurasian people.
In conclusion, I wish the second China-Eurasia Expo and Economic Development and Cooperation Forum a complete success. Thank you.
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