Vice President Hu Jintao yesterday told Malaysian politicians and scholars that China's development will contribute to Asian prosperity and serve Asian stability.
He made the remarks in in a speech entitled Together Let Us Write A New Chapter of Peace and Development in Asia, which was delivered to 300 local parliamentarians, scholars, various personalities and diplomatic envoys to Malaysia.
The rapid economic growth of China -- which has witnessed an average annual growth rate of 9.4 percent since 1978 -- coincided with increasing trade with other Asian economies, said Hu.
He added that China has taken into full account the needs of other Asian countries when making commitments to open up its market.
Over the next five years, China will provide its trading partners with opportunities of at least US$1.5 trillion worth of goods, and the service sector will also be opened gradually, according to Hu.
"As China accelerates the implementation of its 'go global' strategy, it will increase its investment in other Asian countries," he added.
The vice-president addressed the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute of Malaysia, which is one of the most influential non-profit organizations in Malaysia.
As economic globalization goes further, economic competition among countries is likely to get tougher.
"What is important for us developing countries is not to compete with one another but to meet the challenges together through closer cooperation," said Hu.
Hu said that love of peace has been a time-honoured tradition in China and he quoted two sayings of Confucius from 2,000 years ago: "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others" and "If you yourself desire rank and standing, then help others to get rank and standing; and if you yourself want to turn your own merits to account, then help others to turn theirs to account."
Hu added: "Treating one's neighbors with kindness and living with them amicably are considered by the Chinese as the bedrock of a successful nation."
It is not because of expediency that China seeks friendly co-existence with all countries in the world, especially its neighbours, but because China needs an international environment of lasting peace, he said.
The top priority for Asian countries is to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and secure steady and sustained development, according to Hu.
"It is our hope that ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) will play a more important role in Asia-based regional cooperation," he said.
Hu also called for the development of better relations between China and Malaysia, which started friendly exchanges 2,000 years ago.
(China Daily April 25, 2002)
