Xinhua News Agency, Hainan Boao, March 28
Unite and collaborate to meet challenges together
Join hands to create a better future for Asia and the world
——Keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia 2024 Annual Conference
(March 28, 2024, Boao, Hainan)
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China
Dear heads of state and government,
Dear heads of international organizations,
Dear Board Members of the Boao Forum for Asia,
ladies and gentlemen,
Ladies and gentlemen, friends:
Hainan in March is full of coconut breeze and sea charm, with blue waves and silver beaches. In this beautiful season, I am very happy to gather together with all my old and new friends to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2024. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese government, I would like to express my warm congratulations on the convening of the annual meeting! I would like to extend my sincere welcome to all the guests attending the annual meeting! I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone for your long-term concern and support for China’s development!
In today's world, a century of changes is accelerating, the world economy is recovering sluggishly, conflicts and conflicts are emerging one after another, hegemony and hegemony are causing serious harm, and peace and development are facing severe challenges. Should we strengthen unity and cooperation and work together to deal with various risks and challenges, or should we adopt a zero-sum mentality and push the world into division and confrontation? Two choices, two paths, are related to the future of mankind and the future of the world. The theme of this annual meeting is "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Common Responsibilities", which has strong practical significance.
Faced with the question of the times, "Where is humanity going?", China's answer is to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out on many international occasions that building a community with a shared future for mankind means that the future and destiny of every nation and every country are closely linked. The planet is built into a harmonious family. This concept stems from the general consensus and expectations of the international community, as well as from China's responsibility and responsibility as a major country. It contributes China's solutions to people of all countries working together to protect their homes and create a better future.
Over the past 10 years, building a community with a shared future for mankind has expanded from a Chinese initiative to a global action, from a beautiful vision to rich practice, and from an idea to a scientific system. We advocate an equal and orderly world multipolarity and inclusive economic globalization, insist that all countries, big and small, are equal. We call on all countries to transcend the old thinking of group confrontation and zero-sum game, practice true multilateralism, and jointly build an open world. economy. We have proposed and implemented high-quality Belt and Road Initiatives, global development initiatives, global security initiatives, and global civilization initiatives, which have brought huge dividends of prosperity and stability to the world and created solid people's livelihood and well-being.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were first launched in Asia 70 years ago. They have endured for a long time and still have strong vitality. The people of Asia have gone through hot and cold wars and experienced vicissitudes of life. They know that peace is precious and development is hard-won. We must hold high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, join hands to build a community with a shared future for Asia, and jointly build an Asian homeland of peace, tranquility, prosperity, beauty, and friendly symbiosis.
——Work together to safeguard Asia’s security and contribute positively to world peace and stability. Both history and reality have inspired us that peace and stability are the common expectation of the Asian people, the greatest consensus among Asian countries, and the basic prerequisite for Asia's development. In the face of complex international security threats, we must implement global security initiatives, practice a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, abandon the Cold War mentality and group confrontation, oppose power politics and hegemony, and safeguard the needs of all parties. , a regional order that is inclusive of the interests of all parties, and always holds the future and destiny of Asia's long-term peace and stability in its own hands, so that the flame of peace can be passed on from generation to generation.
——Work together as a promoter of Asia's development and provide huge opportunities for world economic recovery. Today, Asia has become the most dynamic region with the most growth potential in the world, accounting for 40% of the world's economic aggregate and contributing more than 70% to global economic growth. Faced with the severe challenge of the continued sluggish world economy, we must jointly implement global development initiatives, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, seize opportunities from a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, cultivate and strengthen new momentum for development, and promote the realization of green, low-carbon and sustainable development. development, injecting strong “Asian power” into world economic recovery.
——Work together as practitioners of cooperation in Asia and build broad consensus for world unity and cooperation. Asian countries have always been in the same boat, helping each other through thick and thin, and working together to overcome many difficulties and obstacles on the road to development. In the face of international noise advocating separatism and confrontation, we must adhere to independence, unity and self-reliance, continue to be "companions" on the road ahead, jointly oppose unilateralism and extreme egoism, oppose side-taking and camp confrontation, and prevent regional and The world has become a arena of geographical competition.
——Work together as promoters of Asia’s openness and gather strong synergy to build a world of win-win cooperation. The practice of the development of human society tells us that openness brings progress, while isolation will inevitably lead to backwardness. In today's world, the trend of economic globalization is irreversible, and no country can engage in construction behind closed doors. We must adhere to the concept of win-win cooperation, jointly implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, jointly build the "Belt and Road" with high quality, actively promote the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations, and build a closer and more open regional community. market. Oppose trade protectionism and various forms of "building walls and barriers" and "decoupling and breaking links", share opportunities through opening up, and seek win-win results through cooperation.
——Work together as promoters of Asian civilizations and inject inexhaustible impetus into exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations. President Xi Jinping pointed out that “to cope with common challenges and move towards a better future requires not only economic and technological strength, but also cultural and civilizational strength.” We must implement the Global Civilization Initiative, jointly advocate respect for the diversity of world civilizations, promote the common values of all mankind, promote the harmonious coexistence, mutual learning and mutual achievement of different civilizations, promote mutual understanding and mutual understanding among people in Asia and the world, and share the fruits of the development of human civilization. .
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
China's two sessions, which successfully concluded not long ago, set the goals, tasks, policies and measures for my country's economic and social development this year, and conveyed confidence that China's economy will continue to rebound and will continue to improve in the long term. China's economic growth rate is 5.2% in 2023, and the expected growth target this year is about 5%, continuing to lead among the world's major economies. China is comprehensively promoting Chinese-style modernization with high-quality development, which will inject strong impetus into the recovery of the world economy and provide more opportunities for the development of other countries, especially the development of its Asian neighbors.
China will persist in innovative development. Innovation is a powerful driving force for development. China adheres to the innovation-driven development strategy, uses scientific and technological innovation to promote industrial innovation, and accelerates the development of new productive forces. Investment in high-tech industries has maintained double-digit growth for many consecutive years, and there are approximately 400,000 high-tech enterprises. Exports of the "three new products" of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products have grown rapidly. The digital economy has accelerated its development, and the 5G user penetration rate has exceeded 50%. China is willing to strengthen scientific and technological innovation cooperation with other countries to stimulate more innovation vitality and cultivate new economic growth points. Jointly implement the global artificial intelligence governance initiative and promote the healthy, safe and orderly development of global artificial intelligence.
China will adhere to open development. Openness is a distinctive symbol of contemporary China. China's door of opening up will only open wider and wider, and will never be closed. We will proactively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules and create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class business environment. Continue to reduce the negative list for foreign investment access, comprehensively cancel restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector, implement national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises, and make it more convenient for foreigners to work, study, and travel in China. Hainan is building a free trade port with Chinese characteristics with global influence and creating a new highland for China's high-level institutional opening-up. Everyone is welcome to invest and start business in Hainan.
China will adhere to green development. Green is the bright background color of China's high-quality development. Now, nearly half of the world's installed photovoltaic power generation capacity is in China, more than half of the world's new energy vehicles are driving in China, and a quarter of the world's new green area comes from China. We are accelerating the promotion of green and low-carbon economic and social development, striving to achieve carbon peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. A large-scale development increment has been formed in the fields of green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, green life, etc., and the investment and consumption market nurtured will reach 10 trillion yuan every year.
China will adhere to shared development. China is already the main trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, the main source of investment for an increasing number of countries, and one of the most important investment destinations for most countries. In the next five years, China's import and export of goods is expected to exceed US$32 trillion in total, and the potential of the ultra-large market with a population of more than 1.4 billion will continue to be released. Investing in China is investing in the future. We sincerely welcome all countries in the world to board the express train of China's development and work together to achieve world modernization of peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
An ancient Chinese said, "If you take advantage of the wisdom of the crowd, you will be able to conquer anything; if you use the strength of the crowd, you will be able to defeat everything." Human beings live in the same global village, and all countries in the world are on the same ship with a shared destiny. In the face of severe and complex risks and challenges around the world, we must strengthen our confidence and move forward together to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and create a better future for Asia and the world!
Finally, I wish the Boao Forum for Asia 2024 Annual Conference a complete success!
thank you all!