While China and its neighbors strengthened good-neighborly
friendship throughout 2002, they also boosted their mutually
beneficial economic cooperation. Experts say China's development
brings more opportunities for neighboring countries.
Among China's neighbors, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Russia all made the
list of China's top ten trading partners.
While China maintains rapid economic growth in 2002, its trade with
these countries also soared.
Imports from these countries jumped much higher than exports to
them, leaving China a new record trade deficit of US$30.59
billion.
Last year witnessed the launching of the China-Japan economic and
trade partner consultation mechanism, the first Hyundai Sonata car
rolled off the production line in a Beijing factory jointly funded
by China and the ROK, and the start of the China-ASEAN free trade
area creation process.
China, together with Russia, Kazakhstan and other Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) members, signed important documents
including the SCO Charter.
Economic and trade ministers of the six SCO member countries
gathered in Shanghai to underscore cooperation in the fields of
energy and transport.
Deputy Secretary-General Carlos Fortin of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva said China was
increasingly providing impetus to other economies within the Asian
region.
Chinese multinational giants and private companies had become
important funding sources for its neighbors, he said.
China, which sees the first two decades of the 21st century as a
period for important strategic opportunities, is focusing on
building an overall well-off society.
The faster China grew, the more opportunities it brought
neighboring countries, said Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic
Cooperation Shi Guangsheng.
In
the next five years, China's imports would be worth US$1,500
billion to 2,000 billion, which firstly would benefit its
neighbors. Chinese enterprises would regard those countries as
ideal investment venues, Shi said.
The primary goal of China's good-neighborly diplomacy is
establishing long-term stable friendly relations with the
neighboring countries.
China will continue to cement friendly ties with these countries,
persist in building a good-neighborly relationship and partnership
with them, and raise exchanges and cooperation with them to new
levels.
China's foreign policy towards the neighboring countries showed its
objectives of sharing peace, seeking common prosperity and creating
an environment of peace and development with them, said Director Fu
Ying of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Foreign
Ministry.
(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2003)