Premier Wen Jiabao said in Canberra yesterday that China's development is peaceful, open and cooperative in nature.

 

Wen made the remarks at the welcoming banquet hosted by Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

 

He said as China grew stronger, people were asking: What future path of development will China take? What responsibilities will China assume for the international community? Will China become a force for world peace and prosperity?

 

Wen stressed that the path embarked upon by China is one of peaceful development. In essence, it means that China is seeking to develop itself by working to sustain a peaceful international environment and promoting world peace through its own development.

 

China mainly relies on its own strength, reform and innovation to achieve development. At the same time, it remains open to the outside world. China conducts exchanges and cooperation with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit in order to achieve a win-win outcome and common development, he said.

 

Wen said pursuing the path of peaceful development was a natural choice for China.

 

He said, firstly, this is determined by China's history and cultural traditions. The Chinese nation believes in harmony, peace and honoring commitment.

 

Secondly, this is determined by China's need for development. Expediting economic and social development to build a modernized country is a historic mission undertaken by the Chinese people. To achieve this goal, China must have mutual confidence and live in harmony with other countries.

 

Thirdly, this is dictated by the global trends. The pursuit of peace, development and cooperation is the shared aspiration of all peoples. As a member of the international community, China needs to achieve its own development goals. At the same time, it also needs to keep pace with the global trend, and shoulder, together with other countries, international responsibilities for maintaining peace.

 

He said in short, the path of peaceful development taken by China is by no means an expediency. Rather, it is a fundamental choice and solemn commitment made by the Chinese government and people.

 

China pledges to play responsible role in world

 

China is pledged to playing a responsible role in the world, Wen said.

 

He said China is, through its own acts, playing a responsible role in the world, as shown in the following 10 aspects:

 

-- China endeavors to develop a socially productive force and improve the material and cultural life of its people and remains committed to promoting human progress.

 

A developing and stable China in itself is the biggest contribution to world peace and prosperity.

 

-- Drawing upon its practices and experiences, China has embarked on a road of scientific development.

 

China takes energy conservation and environmental protection as basic state policies, and China is striving to build resource conservation and environment friendly society to ensure the country's coordinated and sustained social and economic development. China's development does not pose a threat to the world.

 

-- China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and a takes position on issues based on their respective merits.

 

In international affairs, China works to promote peace and development through cooperation and strictly observes the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and commonly recognized norms governing international relations.

 

China does not define its relations with other countries on the basis of ideology, and China does not enter into alliance with any other country. China seeks to live in friendship with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

 

-- China strives to safeguard global peace, and is actively involved in preserving and building the international system.

 

China works for the establishment of a fair and equitable new international order, promotes democracy in international relations and upholds the diversity of civilizations.

 

-- China continues to foster good-neighborliness and partnership with adjacent countries and will always be a good neighbor and good partner of them.

 

China advances bilateral and regional cooperation for common prosperity and stands for openness in regional cooperation and closer relations with other countries and international organizations.

 

-- China supports peaceful settlement of disputes and plays a constructive role in addressing hot-spot issues.

 

China also takes an active part in international cooperation in addressing non-traditional security issues, including major natural disasters.

 

-- China takes an active part in counter-terrorism and cooperation in non-proliferation and strives to maintain global security and strategic stability. China opposes terrorism and has played a constructive role in international anti-terrorism cooperation.

 

China has set up a comprehensive legal regime governing export control to prevent proliferation and is stepping up its law-enforcement efforts toward this end.

 

-- China honors its WTO accession commitments and is actively involved in building an equitable and free international trading regime.

 

Major intellectual property rights (IPR) laws in China have been amended to make them compatible with relevant WTO agreements. In addition, the threshold for meting out criminal punishment for IPR violation has been lowered to strengthen law enforcement for IPR protection.

 

-- China strives to realize the UN Millennium Development Goals and provides sincere and selfless assistance to other developing countries.

 

-- China pursues a military strategy that is defensive in nature and works to promote international disarmament and arms control. The share of China's military spending in its GDP and government budget is fairly low by international standards.

 

The modest increase in China's military expenditure is mainly for improving the welfare of its servicemen, strengthening its defense capabilities and achieving national reunification. Thus, it will not pose a threat to anyone. China's defense policy is transparent.

 

Wen said that China sincerely hoped to make a greater contribution to world peace and development. But to do so, China needed, first and foremost, to step up its development.

 

He said that despite all it had achieved, China remained a developing country faced with a huge task of development. A big population, low productivity and unbalanced regional development: these are the basic features of China's national conditions.

 

He said that China still had a long way to go before it achieved modernization. This calls for the unremitting efforts of several, a dozen or even several dozens of generations.

 

China willing to develop friendship, partnership with Australia

 

Wen said that China is willing to become a good friend and good partner to Australia.

 

"There are no fundamental differences standing in the way of China-Australia relations. Rather, we enjoy extensive converging interests," he said.

 

Wen said a long-term and stable relationship and cooperation between China and Australia serve the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples.

 

"The Chinese side views its relationship with Australia from a strategic perspective and wishes to become a good friend and good partner to Australia," he said.

 

Wen noted Australia is endowed with rich resources and has a developed economy and advanced technologies, whereas China has a large population, a huge market and tremendous potential for development.

 

"China is now the largest source country of overseas students to Australia and the number of Chinese tourists to Australia is growing faster than any other country," he said.

 

Cultural links and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries will become even closer with the inauguration of a second Confucius Academy in Australia and the success of the series of activities titled "Experience the Chinese Culture in Australia," he added.

 

Wen said that during his meeting with Howard earlier, broad agreement was reached on developing China-Australia relations of all-round cooperation for mutual benefit and a win-win outcome in the 21st century.

 

Both agreed to strengthen bilateral political exchanges and strategic dialogue to enhance mutual trust, he said.

 

"We are committed to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, energy and resources and other fields and accelerating the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement negotiations for mutual benefit and common progress," Wen said.

 

The two countries will promote cultural, educational and tourism exchanges to enhance understanding and friendship between the two peoples, he said, adding that they will work together to promote the sound and orderly development of regional cooperation in the interest of prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2006)