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Bogor, Indonesia
l 5 November 1994
Your Excellency Respected President Soeharto,
Excellencies,
First of all, I would like to offer my
thanks to President Soeharto for his kind invitation and to
our host, the government of Indonesia, for the elaborate arrangements.
May I also take this opportunity to welcome and greet the
leaders of new members among us - President Frei of Chile,
President Salinas of Mexico and Prime Minister Julius Chan
of Papua New Guinea.
It is now five years since APEC came into
being. The world has undergone tumultuous changes. Multipolarization
has accelerated and international relations are in a complex
state of flux. All nations of thc world are confronted with
both opportunities and challenges. How can we more effectively
ensure international peace and enhance economic development
in the few remaining years of the century so as to usher a
peaceful, thriving and splendid world into the 2lst century?
This is a question over which all people are seriously pondering.
This also means that as leaders of the current period we will
be assuming a momentous historical mission.
It should be noted that the world is still
plagued by contradictions and conflicts. Turbulence and unpredictable
events are on the rise. Some countries and regions have even
succumbed to internecine wars entailing disastrous consequences.
How can development be envisaged in such a chaos? Maintenance
of stability is an essential prerequisite for the ship of
history to successfully sail into the new century. The world
needs stability and this is true with all regions and nations.
Without a stable environment nothing can be accomplished,
and even what has been accomplished will be lost. All the
people of the world cry out for peace, stability, development
and cooperation. This presupposes that in this widely diversified
and fast-changing world there must be accommodation instead
of exclusion, friendly co-existence instead of resorting to
bullying or confrontation, seeking common ground while reserving
differences instead of indulging in acts of intervention.
An important reason why the economies of East Asia have developed
so rapidly all these years is that those countries have maintained
stability, have respected each other and have pursued equal
and mutually beneficial economic cooperation. All this has
laid down the foundation for regional cooperation and ensured
the vigour of the continuously growing economies in the Asia-Pacific
region.
Peaceful negotiations are the only correct
approach to resolve state-to-state disputes. The Middle East
peace process has attested to this point. The recent frame-work
agreement between the United States and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea is also a case in point. We welcome those
positive developments and hope that peaceful negotiations
will be even more frequently used in the settlement of international
disputes.
It is now a world trend to accord priority
to economy. This is determined by the progress of times and
stage of historical development. Economic development is on
the top of the agenda of every country. It is vital not only
to any country's existence and long-term security, but also
to world peace and security. Indeed, the economic factor is
increasingly playing the overriding and pivotal role in international
relations. In order to promote economic development and common
prosperity, all nations must intensify cooperation and coordination
as well as broadening the scope of complementing and leaning
from each other in accordance with the principle of equality
and mutual benefit. An important basis will thus be laid for
the maintenance of world peace. The international community
should make special efforts to narrow the gap of wealth between
developed and developing countries by encouraging them to
complement each other's comparative advantages so as to ensure
sustained, balanced and steady growth of the world economy.
This is not only demanded by the developing countries but
is a necessary condition for the developed countries to sustain
their economic growth.
We are pleased to note that amidst the
tidal changes of the world, the Asia-Pacific region has been
able to maintain a good momentum. Here the political situation
is relatively stable, economy is in high gear, trade is brisk,
investment is picking up speed, hi-tech advances in big strides
and regional cooperation has an enormous potential. If together
we seize the opportunity and make common efforts to ride the
tide of the times and aim at the reality of the Asia-Pacific
region, then we will be able to accomplish a great deal in
regional economic development and cooperation.
The ancient Chinese philosopher Menaces
said:" it is only natural that things in the world are
different''. This is true of nature as of human society. APEC
members range from northern to southern hemispheres, encompassing
Asia, Oceania and the Americas. They include countries with
long history and ancient civilization as well as industrialized
countries that have risen in modern times. There are sovereign
states as well as regional economies. There are countries
whose territory straddles a continent as well as those that
are islands in the great ocean. Certain members are world
leaders in the level of economic development. Others are endeavoring
to build their infrastructure. Populations of APEC members
range from a few hundred thousand to some l.2 billion. Per-capita
GNP ranges from a few hundred to over US$20,000 annually.
Their culture, religion and customs are vastly different.
This gives rise to multiple political and economic systems
as well as values making Asia and the Pacific a region of
many splendors. It is unrealistic to try to impose conformity
over this diversity. Only an attitude of compatibility and
willingness to learn from each other can conduce to common
development and progress.
We are living in an in an independent
world. Modern technology has shrunk geographical distances.
Many challenges facing mankind often transcend national boundaries.
Economic relations, trade, development of science and technology,
environmental protection, population control, disaster reduction
and relief, fight against drugs, crime prevention, nuclear
non-proliferation, prevention and treatment of AIDS, and so
on--these are interdependent global issues. As such, they
all call for cooperation and compliance with common norms.
Since the 1980s, there has been notable increases in trade,
market development, capital interflow, industry relocation,
science and technology exchanges and information interflow
among members of region, all of which have greatly increased
the ties between us.
Diversity and interdependence - this is
a reality in the Asia-Pacific region. Diversity gives right
to complementarity while interdependence generate a need for
cooperation. If we recognize this reality and turn it into
our advantage, Asia-Pacific economic cooperation will be galvanized
and a widening vista will unfold before us. Proceeding from
this consideration and reviewing the new development since
the Seattle meeting last year, I would like to put forward
five proposals regarding future Asia-Pacific economic cooperation
as follows:
l. Mutual respect and consensus . Members
at different stages of economic development and with different
social systems should respect each other and coexist in amity.
They should be encouraged to engage themselves more frequently
in the consultation and exploration of important issues like
the orientation, priority and pace of Asia-Pacific economic
cooperation and make decision thereon by consensus.
2. Gradual progress in an orderly and
steady manner. Given the
significant disparity in the levels of
economic development difference in political status and development
priorities among members, cooperation should proceed step
by step in a pragmatic and prudent manner. Especially when
major moves are contemplated, we should think carefully and
act prudently, proceeding in a step-by-step, phased and organized
manner in order to achieve optimum results.
3. Mutual opening without exclusion. First
of all, members should be open to each other without discrimination.
When differences arise, do not promptly resort to the erection
of barriers. Secondly, while regional economic cooperation
steps up its pace, extra-regional exchanges and cooperation
should be expanded in order to tap the advantage of the best
therefrom .
4.Extensive cooperation, mutual benefit
and reciprocity. We can be even more open-minded in our approach
to cooperation and the scope of cooperation can be further
expanded. We should continue to focus our attention on such
questions as trade and investment. At the same time, issues
such as relief of poverty, technology transfer, construction
of infrastructure and human resources development, which are
of general interest to the developing members of our region,
should also be made priority of cooperation.
5. Narrow the gap and achieve common prosperity.
Of the 2 billion people in the Asia-Pacific region, l.5 billion
have an annual per-capita GNP below US$1,000. Regional economic
cooperation should take account of not only the questions
of market opening-up and trade liberalization but also the
needs of the developing members and the need to help them
overcome various constraints and narrow the gap between them
and the developed members in order to achieve common prosperity.
Developed members should, in particular, open their markets
to the products of developing ones. The prospect of over 1
billion being relieved from poverty and becoming prosperous
will have an inestimable positive impact on the efforts to
expand markets for trade, increase investment opportunities,
promote progress of science and technology and reinforce economic
cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The question of trade liberalization in
Asia Pacific has attracted extensive attention from within
and without our region. Looking into the future, members should
further reduce barriers, open their markets and expand trade
exchanges. For this is not only the call of economic interdependence,
but will also help them display their comparative advantages,
increase complememtarities and maintain the momentum of economic
growth in the region. Therefore, we are in favor of trade
and investment liberalization as a long-term goal and the
formulation of an appropriate timetable for implementation.
We also agree that this meeting reach agreements of intent
on these issues. It is our view that trade liberalization
should be based on the principle of nondiscrimination and
should accommodate the diverseness in the Asia Pacific region.
In such a region with wide difference in the level of economic
development, the entire process and practice of liberalization
should obviously differ from one where economies are quite
developed on the whole. One should proceed in a gradual, orderly
and phased manner. Different timetables for trade liberalization
need to be worked out for members at varied development levels.
Pacing and modalities should in differ in different sectors.
It is neither realistic nor consistent with the spirit of
fair competition to demand same pacing for all members and
all sectors, in disregard of the difference in development
level and actual conditions. Trade liberalization is, in the
final analysis, a means to achieve our end of common development
and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region.
China's economic development cannot be
divorced from that of the world and Asia-Pacific region. By
the same token, economic development of the world and Asia-Pacific
region can also benefit from China's economic growth and prosperity.
A stable and prosperous China is a staunch force for peace
in the world and for stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
The message from the Chinese people to the peoples of the
Asia-Pacific region and those of the world at large is peace,
friendship, cooperation and development. Let us join hands
to bring about a splendid future for APEC and for the new
century of Asia and the Pacific.
Thank you!
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