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Visiting Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, delivers a speech at a dinner in Washington, Sept. 11, 2009.(Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) |
Visiting top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo elaborated on China's development here Thursday by emphasizing the importance of development to China, China's development to the world, and put forward a proposal for further development of China-U.S. relations.
CHINA COMMITTED TO PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT
"Development is the key to China's success in overcoming difficulties," Wu said in a speech delivered at a dinner hosted by American friendly organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S.-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Wu is on a week-long official goodwill visit to the United States, the final stop of his three-nation tour to the Americas, which also took him to Cuba and the Bahamas.
Over the past 30 years, China has registered sustained and rapid economic development and made all-round progress in various undertakings and China's gross domestic product has grown at an average annual rate of 9.8 percent, said Wu, who is chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress.
The top legislator said the significance of development to China is well exemplified by the way China responded to the massive quake that hit southwestern China's Sichuan province on May 12, 2008.
"Thanks to out institutional strength in pooling resources for big undertakings, thanks to our development achievements through reform and opening up over the past 30 years and with the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation, we mobilized people of the whole country and immediately went in for an unprecedented search and rescue operation," he said.
"In just over one year, over 460 billion yuan (67.4 billion U.S. dollars) has been invested in rehabilitation and reconstruction," he added.
Wu stressed that China is committed to peaceful development.
"We will develop ourselves by upholding world peace and maintain world peace through developing ourselves. This is the strategy the Chinese government and people have opted for in keeping with the trend of times and our own fundamental interests. It is our own abiding pursuit rather than a stopgap," Wu said.
CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD
Wu noted that China's development is also a contribution to the world, which is most evident in three aspects.
One aspect is that China's development is inextricably linked to the common interests of humanity, he said.
"China's success in running its own affairs and ensuring a better life for the 1.3 billion people is, in itself, a historic contribution to the development and well-being of mankind," Wu said.
Another aspect is that China's development has presented development opportunities to all other countries and people throughout the world have benefited from it, he said.
Still another is that China's development has made stronger the forces for world peace and common development, he added.
Wu said development remains China's top priority.
"Despite China's tremendous economic and social achievements in the course of 30 years' reform and opening up, we are soberly aware of the fact that China is the world's largest developing country with a huge population, weak economic foundation and development imbalances between urban and rural areas, among different regions, and between economic and social realms," he said.
China's modernization still has a long way to go and requires the relentless endeavor of several, a dozen or even dozens of generations, he said, adding China's goal is to build a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by 2020.
"We will always put development on the top of our agenda, implement in real earnest the Scientific Outlook on Development, continue to free our minds, stay committed to reform and opening up, advance scientific development and promote social harmony," Wu said.
Though China may encounter all sorts of difficulties and challenges on its way forward, its development has become an irresistible trend that goes along with the will of the people, he said, adding "we have every confidence in our development prospects."
CHINA SEEKS STRONGER TIES WITH U.S.
On China-U.S. relations, the top legislator pointed out that bilateral tie "now stand at a new historical starting point."
Since U.S. President Barack Obama took office, thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, China-U.S. relations have achieved a smooth transition and got off to a good start and maintained a positive momentum of growth, he said.
"It is our shared view that, in the new situation, the strategic significance and global impact of China-U.S. relations have become all the more prominent," Wu said.
Furthering China-U.S. relations, he said, serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples and contributes to peace and development of the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Wu put forward a three-point proposal to enhance China-U.S. cooperation: expanding the scope of cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win progress, building up support for cooperation through increased exchanges, and properly handling differences in line with the principle of mutual respect.
First, the two countries should expand the scope of cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win progress, he said.
As countries with important influence in the world, China and the Untied States shoulder important responsibilities in this regard, and it is of particular importance for the two sides to step up efforts to enhance cooperation in a joint response to the international financial crisis, to strengthen cooperation in energy, environment and climate change, and to engage in closer communication and coordination on regional and international issues, he said.
Second, the two sides should build up support for cooperation through increased exchanges, he said.
"The growth of our relationship and cooperation calls for the involvement of people from all sectors in the two countries. We should continue to increase mutual exchanges and visits in all fields and at all levels so that together, we will further push forward our relations," said the top Chinese legislator.
Third, the two countries should handle their differences under the principle of mutual respect, Wu said.
"To properly handle major and sensitive issues in our relations is crucial to the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations," he said.
Wu said that the two sides, acting in a spirit of mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences and win-win cooperation, should view and develop China-U.S. relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect the system and development path of each other's own choice, respect each other's core interests and major concerns and expand converging interests through candid dialogue and patient communications.
"Only in this way can we work together to preserve and promote the overall growth of the China-U.S. relationship," he said.
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a welcome speech at a dinner after meeting with Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, in Washington, Sept. 11, 2009.(Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) |
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in her welcoming speech that the relationship between China and the United States has the potential to help shape a right course "not only for our nations and peoples, but also for the world."
"President Obama and I agreed that we have entered a new era for U.S.-China relationship. Building a strong relationship with China is a strong goal of the Obama administration," she said.
"We want to work as much as possible in the years ahead to build a strong foundation for our future cooperation," said Clinton.