On November 17, 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao delivered an important speech at the APEC CEO Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Hu pointed out that harmony is an important value proposition in the Chinese civilization. China advocates building up a harmonious world featuring lasting peace and common prosperity. China is dedicated to, politically achieving the harmonious coexistence, economically realizing common development, culturally learning from other countries, maintaining mutual trust and coordination on the security front with all countries in the world, and making constant contributions to the grand cause of peace and development of mankind.

The speech was made at the National Conference Center of Hanoi, which was full of audience. At 11:30 a.m. local time, President Hu and his wife Liu Yongqing, accompanied by Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who chairs the CEO Summit, walked into the auditorium. The entire audience stood up and applauded. Then Martin Sullivan, President and CEO of American International Group Inc, introduced President Hu to the audience and invited him to give a speech.

In the warm applause, President Hu delivered an important speech titled Insisting on Peaceful Development and Promoting Common Prosperity.

Hu pointed out that today's world is undergoing profound and complex changes. The economic globalization and regional integration are developing into greater depth. The countries are more closely interlinked with each other, offering favorable conditions for countries to cooperate in broader areas, on broader scopes, and at higher levels. The Asia Pacific region, where we are located, is witnessing the rise of various regional and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms. More and more countries in this region are actively participating in international cooperation and competition, which not only promotes the growth of our economies, but also boosts the economic prosperity of this region. The Asia Pacific region is a dynamic region with a bright future.

Hu said that the APEC meeting is convened under the theme of "Toward a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity", the purpose of which is to address the problems emerging in the process of regional development, and particularly promote the balanced and sustainable development of the region. We should increase the official aids to developing countries without attaching any conditions, strengthen the economic and technological cooperation in all forms, help developing countries develop human resources, create a favorable external environment for developing countries, carry out various forms of south-north cooperation and south-south cooperation and actively advance the development of developing countries. Talking about the development direction of China, Hu said that China is a member of the international community and the Asia Pacific community. China's development is closely linked with the development of the world and the Asia Pacific region. Since reform and opening up, China has been sticking to taking economic construction as the center and sticking to deepening reform to expand opening-up and improve the lives of the Chinese people on the basis of economic development, which benefits not only the Chinese people, but also the people of other countries in this region. China is a big developing nation with a population of 1.3 billion. Facts have proved that the growing momentum of China's economic growth, the improvement of the living standards of the Chinese people and China's expanded opening-up are of great significance to the peace and development of the world, especially the Asia Pacific region.

Hu said that China will comprehensively implement the scientific development concept with the people as the center and featuring an all-round, coordinated and sustainable development, transform the development concept, bring innovations to development models, improve development quality, insist on resolving the emerging problems with development and reform approaches, and let the development fruits benefiting all the people. In present and future periods, we will focus upon promoting the adjustment of economic structure and the transformation of economic growth modes, advancing the building of new villages, driving the balanced regional development and pushing for the building of a harmonious society.

Hu stressed that China's development is mainly dependent upon the efforts and hard work of the Chinese people. At the same time, China will unswervingly carry out the basic national policy of opening-up and implement the opening-up strategies featuring mutual benefits and win-win results. We will further the reform in foreign-related economic system, accelerate the transformation of trade growth patterns, promote the balanced development of imports and exports, actively utilize foreign investment, take substantial measures to protect the intellectual property rights and constantly upgrade the opening-up levels. China's development benefits from the development of the region and the world and also contributes to the development of the region and the world. China will continue to participate in the international economic cooperation on broader scopes, in wider areas and at higher levels, promote the regional economic cooperation and the negotiations on free trade areas and offer assistance and support to developing countries in our power.

After Hu's presentation, Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm of the United States, delivered the thank-you speech. He said that President Hu's speech is inspiring and enlightening. President Hu's proposition concerning the building of a harmonious society can also be applied to the realization of the sustainable economic development and social prosperity and stability in the Asia Pacific region and can be taken as the guiding principle for strengthening the cooperation in this region. APEC will continue to play an important role in the world.

Wang Gang, Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and other top Chinese officials were also present at the meeting.

APEC CEO Summit is an important forum during the annual APEC meetings. There were over 1000 business leaders from the Asia Pacific region attending APEC CEO Summit 2006. There were around 1000 business leaders who listened to the speech of President Hu.