China is on the road of peaceful development, that is shaped by
the country's traditions, culture, development needs and interests,
said Premier Wen
Jiabao while meeting the press on Tuesday after the conclusion
of the Fourth
Plenary Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC)
in Beijing.
Wen emphasized that China is "a responsible country" that is
part of the international community.
He cited China's progress in the following 10 aspects:
1. Through reform and development, China has successfully solved
the problem of feeding 1.3 billion people and lifting 200 million
out of poverty.
2. After much effort, China has decided on a more scientific
development path, one that stresses resource conservation and
environment protection.
3. China adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace,
neither discriminating against any country because of ideology nor
entering into an alliance with any country or group of countries.
Instead, it is willing to live peacefully with all nations on the
basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
4. It also adheres to the principle of building friendship and
partnership with neighboring countries.
5. China is a participant in and guardian of many international
regimes. It has participated in over 100 international
organizations and is a signatory to nearly 300 international
conventions. It is now contributing to the establishment of new
international political and economic orders together with the
international community.
6. China persistently promotes and encourages world peace. All
important regional and international disputes including the Korean
Peninsular and Iranian nuclear issues should be settled through
negotiation and dialogue. It is also ready to cooperate in
international relief efforts. China organized the largest-scale
rescue operation in 2004 following the
tsunami that devastated areas around the Indian Ocean in
December 2004.
7. China strongly opposes terrorism and nuclear
proliferation.
8. China is working toward fulfilling all its commitments to the
World Trade Organization.
9. Although a developing country itself, China has always
actively carried out the UN Millennium Development
Goals, mitigating or nullifying the debts of 44 underdeveloped
countries worth 20 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion). China will
provide US$10 billion in preferential loans to these countries over
the next three years without any attached conditions.
10. China's national defense policy is based on self-defense,
and the limited increases it has made in military expenditure will
be used mainly to improve the living conditions of officers and
soldiers, in addition to improving its self-defense capabilities.
The country's defense policy is transparent. China has never
dispatched even one soldier abroad except on peacekeeping missions,
and has not occupied one inch of foreign land.
Wen concluded: "Even if China does become powerful in the
future, it will never interfere with other countries' affairs or
try to exert influence on others. China will never become a
hegemony."
China-Japan relations hard to develop if shrine issue
not resolved
It will be very difficult for
China-Japan relations to make progress if the issue of Japanese
leaders' visits to Yasukuni Shrine worshipping Class-A WWII war
criminals cannot be well resolved, Wen said.
It is not China nor the Japanese people but the leaders of Japan
to blame for the souring bilateral ties, he said.
It is China's unswerving effort to develop bilateral friendly
relations from generation to generation, he said.
The development of China-Japan relations should follow the
spirit and principle of "taking history as a mirror and looking
forward to the future" and the three political documents signed by
the two countries.
Wen called for both sides to continue strategic dialogue between
the governments so as to remove obstacles affecting bilateral
relations.
"We should also strengthen people-to-people exchanges and
enhance mutual understanding and trust," he said.
He also urged to stabilize and develop Sino-Japanese trade and
economic ties, in a bid to expanding "mutual beneficial cooperation
for win-win results."
Strong China-India relations to usher in true 'Asian
century'
Wen stressed the importance of relations between
China and India, saying strong bilateral ties will usher in a
true "century of Asia."
Wen added that when China and India realize their fullest
potentials, they will spearhead "a new true century of Asia."
Recalling his successful visit to India last year, Wen said the
two countries reached a strategic partnership to work toward peace
and prosperity, signed a political principle guiding the settlement
of their border issues, and worked out a five-year plan for
China-India trade and economic development.
This year marks the "China-India Friendship Year," he said,
adding: "Cultural exchanges will be high on the agenda."
"China-India relations have entered a new historical stage," he
said, hoping that the China-India "friendship will grow vibrant and
strong" and remain in the hearts of the two peoples.
Economic development conducive to HK's democratic
construction
The improvement in Hong Kong's economy
and its people's living standards is conducive to promoting the
democratic and political system based on the Basic Law of the
special administrative region, Wen said.
Nearly nine years after Hong Kong was returned to the
motherland, its capitalist market and legal systems remain
unchanged. Hong Kong compatriots enjoy due guarantee of their
freedom and rights.
Wen called Hong Kong one of the freest and most open economies
in the world with a "fully-fledged" legal system, "very favorable"
business environment, extensive connections with the world market,
and a large number of international economy professionals.
He stressed these are Hong Kong's assets that contribute not
only to the region's development, but play an "important and
irreplaceable" role in boosting the development of the
mainland.
"I believe that with the implementation of the mainland's
11th Five-Year Development Guidelines (2006-2010), the role of
these favorable factors will be brought into full play," he
said.
Wen also announced the mainland will include another five cities
to the individual travel program to Hong Kong starting in May.
Thirty-eight mainland cities are already a part of the scheme.
The mainland has forged a closer economic partnership with Hong
Kong over the past few years, he said, adding that some
infrastructural facilities linking Hong Kong and the mainland are
under construction.
With Hong Kong as its fourth largest trade partner, the mainland
has to date opened 27 service and trade sectors to it, in the areas
of finance, accounting and legal affairs in a bid to give more
convenient mainland market access to Hong Kong companies.
Mainland keeps close watch over situation in Taiwan,
ready for equal talks
Wen said the mainland is keeping a close watch over the
situation in
Taiwan and is preparing for any possible change of events.
"We will never give up our efforts for peaceful reunification,
we will never sway in our opposition of 'Taiwan independence'
secessionist activities, and will never allow anyone to secede
Taiwan from the motherland," he said.
It was an overt defiance of the one-China principle when Taiwan
leader Chen Shui-bian decided to put an end to the operation of the
"National Unification Council" and the application of the "National
Unification Guidelines."
Chen will "find little support" for his decision, and his move
was a hazardous, dangerous and deceitful step, Wen said.
Chen "has forgotten his roots" and has attempted to cut the
links of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan
Straits.
"He ran counter to the trends of peace, stability and mutual
benefit between Taiwan and the mainland, and also went against the
wishes of all the Chinese people including Taiwan compatriots," he
said.
Chen has undermined the interests of Taiwan compatriots and "did
no good" to Taiwan's economic development by obstructing the "three
direct links" and restricting trade between Taiwan and the
mainland, he added.
Wen said the mainland is willing and ready to hold consultations
and negotiations with any Taiwan individuals or political parties,
including the Democratic Progressive Party, on the agreed basis of
the one-China principle.
"The negotiations will be held on an equal footing," he
assured.
"No matter what party affiliations they might have, no matter
who they are, what they said or did in the past, so long as they
are committed to the one-China principle, we are ready to have
dialogues and negotiations with them, including members of the
Democratic Progressive Party," he said.
The mainland's commitment to the one-China principle is
consistent and explicit. Wen reiterated that there is only one
China in the world and both sides across the Taiwan Straits belong
to the one China.
China to unswervingly push forward reform,
opening-up
Wen said China must unswervingly push forward its reform and
opening-up drive and follow the path of socialism with Chinese
characteristics.
"Although there will be challenges and difficulties, we must not
stop…. Backpedaling is not a way out.
"China has just taken its first steps toward modernization, and
there is still a long and arduous road ahead.
"We need to remain cautious despite the comparatively good
situation at present," he said.
The reform of state-owned banks and RMB exchange
rate
Wen said the reform of state-owned commercial banks must ensure
that the state plays a dominant role in controlling the country's
economic lifeline and guard against major financial risks.
The reform process must also involve strengthening management of
the banks, and improving their internal control mechanisms and
supervisory systems to prevent the erosion of state-owned
assets.
"The objective behind reforming state-owned commercial banks is
to establish a modern commercial banking system," he reiterated,
adding that the shareholding system is an effective way of
realizing public ownership.
Wen said the adoption of the share-holding system is to improve
corporate governance, to learn and draw upon the experiences of
advanced managerial expertise, and to improve the management and
efficiency of state-owned commercial banks.
China has already had some success in the reform process, he
said, adding: "We will continue the reform and learn from
experience to prevent potential losses, particularly major
losses."
China will not introduce unexpected changes in the reform policy
relating to the renminbi (RMB) exchange rates.
The previous practice of fluctuating rates upward or downward by
administrative means will no longer apply, he said.
Last July, the RMB's peg to the US dollar was removed. It has
since appreciated against the dollar by almost 3 percent.
Wen said further efforts will be made to improve the RMB
exchange rate system, and expand the capacity of the national
foreign currency market.
"Based on the current RMB exchange rate system, there is room
for the RMB exchange rate to fluctuate on its own," he
said.?
Environmental pollution major problem in
development
Wen said environmental pollution is a major problem in China and
it has not been addressed well.
Most of the targets of the 10th Five-Year Plan (2000-2005) were
met, but tasks relating to the environment were not done well, he
said.
China should not follow the old path of pollution first and then
treatment, he said. "We should leave green mountains and clear
water to our offspring."
"First of all, we should not only focus on economic growth; we
should also pay attention to energy conservation and environmental
protection," Wen said, noting that in the period of the 11th
Five-Year Guidelines for National Economic and Social Development,
energy consumption in terms of per?unit GDP growth should go
down 20 percent, and pollutant emission should decrease 10
percent.
Second, China will implement a strict industrial policy.
Enterprises and infrastructure projects that cause environmental
pollution and waste resources should be censured, he said.
Third, China will carry out special programs to treat
environmental pollution, especially the step-by-step treatment of
water, air and land pollution.
In addition, the government will heighten law enforcement.
Enterprises that consume huge energy and cause high pollution will
be shut down, and enterprises and individuals found responsible for
heavy pollution and losses to society will be punished, he
said.
Resolving problems concerning public
interest
Wen said that during his first three years as premier, the
issues worrying him the most were the high costs of medical and
education, high housing prices and work safety problems.
He vowed to take the problems and difficulties head on and never
back away.
He said China will work to ensure that everyone is given equal
educational opportunities.
"Education is the cornerstone of a modernized country and a
country's development depends on improving the competence of the
public," he said.
The competence of the ordinary individual has a direct bearing
on the competence of the general public, he said.
China, with a population of 1.3 billion, 900 million of whom
live in the countryside, has a higher proportion of ordinary
people. "The reason why we prioritize compulsory and occupational
education is that we want to orientate our education toward the
common people, giving them an education," he said.
The three main areas of focus are compulsory education,
vocational education and higher education, he said, adding that the
government will try to achieve further results in these areas.
Wen admitted some local governments have infringed upon the
legitimate rights and interests of the people, giving rise to
social conflicts.
An increasing number of problems have arisen as a result of land
requisition by the government, the demolition and resettlement
process, and corporate restructuring.?
Wen called on governments and institutions at all levels to
properly deal with such conflicts and protect the legal rights and
interests of the people.
In addition, education should be reinforced to encourage people
to express their requests through legal channels and lawful means,
he said.
He reaffirmed that every citizen of China enjoys the freedom of
speech and publication, and that such a right must be realized in
line with the law.
In terms of work safety supervision, Wen said trade unions at
all levels should and can play their role to better safeguard
workers' interests.
"Trade unions in China are the workers' own organizations. They
are not set up by employers," he said.
Referring to a series of serious work safety accidents, he said
it is imperative to strengthen work safety training.
"We will promote worker safety awareness and strengthen their
ability protect themselves," he said.?
Building of a new socialist countryside
Wen also stressed the importance of building
a new socialist countryside.
"The issues concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers are
fundamental ones that have a bearing on China's overall
modernization drive," he said.
Building a new socialist countryside refers to putting
agriculture and rural areas "more prominently on the agenda of the
country's modernization drive," he said.
Apart from completely rescinding agricultural taxes, China plans
to earmark 339.7 billion yuan (about US$42.25 billion) to
agriculture, the rural areas and farmers in 2006, 42.2 billion yuan
(US$5.25 billion) more than last year, according to Wen's
government work report delivered at this year's NPC session.
Industry should be encouraged to support agriculture and cities
to support the countryside.
The democratic rights of the farmers must also be safeguarded,
especially their rights to land contracting and management, he
said.
Wen said China will mete out harsh punishment to those who
illicitly seize land from farmers.
"The core issue concerning Chinese farmers is land," he said.
"We must give adequate and due compensation to farmers whose lands
are requisitioned. A larger proportion of the revenue from land
transfers should be paid to farmers."
Further, China must adopt a system to protect arable land and
must protect farmers' rights to farm independently on their
land.
The most important reform policy adopted was the introduction of
the household responsibility system. According to the system, the
land belongs to the collective entity that is the village, while
the right to production and farming belongs to the farmer.
Wen said the system is a major feature as well as a major
advantage of the Chinese countryside. China guarantees the
long-term right to independent farming. "This guarantee will remain
unchanged for 15 years, for 30 years, or even forever," he
said.
China's management of Internet conforms to int'l
practice
The Chinese government supports the development of the Internet
and its management of the Internet conforms to international
practice, Wen said.
Because it is the people's government, it is subject to the
democratic supervision of the masses, and will listen to various
opinions conveyed through the Internet, he said.
He noted that the Internet is developing rapidly in China. There
are currently more than 100 million Internet users.
The Chinese government supports the development and wide
application of the Internet.
Only when supervised by people will the government not be slack
in its work; only when everyone takes responsibility will every
cause of the country develop smoothly, Wen said.
China's Constitution stipulates that every citizen has the right
and freedom to use the Internet. At the same time, every citizen
should conscientiously abide by laws and regulations and safeguard
national and social interests, he said.
China's management of the Internet is strictly based on law. In
the meantime, China calls for self-discipline and self-management
of the Internet industry, he said.
"Websites should carry correct information, rather than mislead
people and impact negatively on social order," he added.
(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2006)
