As for the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping, upon invitation, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Pursuing Sustainable Development in a Concerted Effort to Build an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future” at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit via video link in Beijing.
Xi Jinping pointed out, at present, COVID-19 is still ravaging the world, and the journey to global economic recovery remains a difficult and tortuous one. It is important that we in the Asia-Pacific face up to the responsibility of the times, be in the driver’s seat, and strive hard to meet the goal of building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.
First, we need to make all-out efforts to fight COVID-19. At this trying time, it is all the more important that we should stay confident, keep a steady hand on the tiller, and forge ahead with determination. In the face of this once-in-a-century test that is crucial to the future of humanity, we the Asia-Pacific economies as well as various sectors should put our people and their lives first, follow the guidance of science, pull together with solidarity, and fight to beat the pandemic.
Second, we need to uphold openness and cooperation. We should follow the underlying trend of the times and proactively expand opening-up. We should advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and functioning, boost economic recovery and achieve interconnected development. We should be forward-looking and move ahead. The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not relapse into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era.
Third, we need to promote a green transition. We need to follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and deliver on what was agreed upon in the Paris Agreement on climate change and at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Working together, all of us can embark on a path of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development. We need to put the people first, and strike a balance between economic growth, ensuring people’s well-being, and energy conservation and emissions reduction. This will enable us to catalyze green transition in the course of economic development and achieve greater development through the green transition.
Fourth, we need to actively promote innovation. We need to speed up scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation, promote the commercialization of scientific and technological advances, and foster new drivers of growth. We need to scale up cooperation between member economies of the Asia-Pacific on scientific and technological innovation, and foster an open, fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory environment for the development of science and technology. The business community should strive to be a major force of increasing input in research and development and applying research outcomes.
Xi Jinping underlined, China’s economic development has been an integral part of the Asia-Pacific cooperation process. China has attained the goal of fully building a moderately prosperous society within the set time frame, and embarked on a new journey toward fully building itself into a modern socialist country. This will create greater opportunities for our region.
China will remain firm in advancing reform and opening-up so as to add impetus to economic development in the Asia-Pacific. China is committed to building a high-standard market system and will work to make new progress in reforming important areas and key links. China will pursue high-standard institutional opening-up and continue to improve its business environment. We are working to develop a unified, open, competitive, and orderly market system. This will enable us to cement the foundation for the long-term development of the Chinese economy and better support businesses from both the Asia-Pacific and the wider world in investing and operating in China.
China will advance green transition on all fronts and make its due contribution to boosting ecological conservation in the Asia-Pacific and beyond. China will actively promote ecological conservation, and fully implement its national strategy on climate change response. China will strike a balance between low-carbon transition and ensuring the living needs of its people, and will achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality within the time frame we set. The business communities across the Asia-Pacific are warmly welcome to join us in this endeavor. Together, we can usher in a future of green development.
China will stay committed to promoting win-win cooperation and contribute to the economic development of the Asia-Pacific. China will continue to practice true multilateralism, take an active part in global economic governance and promote the building of an open world economy. China will steadfastly advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, promote closer cooperation in areas such as global poverty reduction, food security, and development financing, and inject impetus into economic recovery and sustainable development in our region, thus building a global community of development with a shared future.