Remarks by H.E. Yang Jiechi Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China at the Ninth ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Hanoi, Viet Nam, 25 May 2009

Mr. Chairman,

It gives me great pleasure to come to Hanoi for this ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting at a time when the city is about to celebrate its millennium anniversary. I wish to thank our Vietnamese host for the warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. I am confident that with the concerted efforts of all the participants, this meeting will be a productive one.

Mr. Chairman,

Last October, leaders of the 45 ASEM partners gathered in Beijing for the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting amidst the spreading and worsening international financial crisis. With the aim of seeking win-win solution through vision and action, the leaders had in-depth discussions and reached broad consensus on working together to tackle global challenges such as the financial crisis, climate change, food security and disaster relief. The meeting issued three outcome documents, namely, the Statement on the International Financial Situation, the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Chair's Statement, and approved 17 new initiatives. It was a fruitful meeting and fully demonstrated to the whole world our confidence, unity and commitment to cooperation.

With deepening globalization, the destinies of Asia and Europe have been tied together. To resolve the common difficulties facing Asia and Europe, we must work together, deepen mutual trust, intensify cooperation and build a new and closer Asia-Europe partnership.

To build such a partnership, we should foster mutual understanding through dialogue on an equal footing. We should be committed to the spirit of treating each other as equals, respecting each other, and expanding common ground while shelving differences. We should understand each other's social system and cultural background, respect each other's sovereignty and the right to independently choose social systems and development paths, and enhance mutual trust and friendship through dialogue on an equal footing, thus jointly creating a favorable political atmosphere for Asia-Europe cooperation.

To build such a partnership, we should promote development through intensified cooperation. All parties should take economic cooperation as an important driving force for the new Asia-Europe partnership. We should bring into full play our respective strengths, intensify all-round exchanges and practical cooperation in economy, trade, finance, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), energy, transportation and other areas, thus bringing about the early recovery and further development of our respective economies and the world economy as a whole.

To build such a partnership, we should advocate mutual tolerance through expanded exchanges. We should fully respect the diversity of Asian and European countries in terms of culture, religion and civilization. We should be open and inclusive, and oppose narrow-mindedness and prejudice. We should advocate tolerance and understanding, and abandon discrimination and exclusion. We should stand for dialogue and peace, and reject confrontation and conflict. We should learn from each other and work together for a harmonious world.

To ensure the vitality of this new partnership, we should strengthen its institution building. Asia-Europe cooperation should remain an open and evolutionary process, and we should bring into ASEM countries that are able and willing to contribute to the ASEM process at an appropriate time. We should further promote institution building of ASEM to provide stronger support and guarantee for Asia-Europe cooperation.

Mr. Chairman,

The international financial crisis is yet to reach its bottom, and the recovery of the global economy has been slow. This has presented difficulties for Asian and European countries. The recent outbreak of H1N1 flu has put people's health under threat. The drastic fluctuations in energy and food prices are affecting production and people's livelihood. At the same time, international and regional hotspot issues and other traditional security threats have become intertwined with non-traditional security threats, endangering stability and development of the relevant regions.

To meet these challenges and implement the outcomes of the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting more effectively, we should adhere to the basic principles guiding ASEM cooperation and take effective steps in the following areas:

First, strengthen confidence and work together to overcome the international financial crisis. We should strive for economic recovery and growth by maintaining coordination of our macroeconomic policies and pursuing cooperation in trade, investment and other sectors of the real economy. We should stabilize markets, increase job opportunities, and improve people's well-being and mitigate the impact of the crisis on the real economy. We should work for a fair, just, inclusive and well-managed international financial order, draw up a roadmap for reforming international financial institutions within the agreed timeframe, maintain relative stability of exchange rates between major reserve currencies and establish a more diversified and rational international monetary system. We should firmly oppose all forms of protectionism, including raising the threshold for market access under various excuses and those beggar-thy-neighbor protectionist practices. We should fulfill the commitment made at the G-20 London Summit in real earnest and provide assistance and concessional financing to low-income and poor countries. Developed countries should accept their due responsibilities and obligations, take concrete actions to maintain and increase assistance to developing countries and help them maintain financial stability and promote economic growth. This will enable developing countries to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals on time.

Second, think for the future and step up cooperation in tackling climate change. This year is a crucial year in climate change negotiations. We should step up negotiations with a view to achieving positive outcomes on comprehensively and effectively implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol at the Copenhagen Conference scheduled for the end of the year. In conducting the negotiations, we should stay within the framework of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, faithfully adhere to the mandate of the Bali Roadmap, and remain committed to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" between developed and developing countries. We should tackle climate change in the context of sustainable development, and place equal emphasis on mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and financial support. Developed countries should continue to take the lead in reducing emissions in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and deliver on their commitment to supporting developing countries in financing, technology and capacity building. Developing countries should implement sustainable development strategies, and make due contribution to the global endeavor to fight climate change.

Third, increase input to ensure world energy and food security. Energy and food security not only bears on national economy and people's livelihood, but also affects world stability and development. We should foster and follow a new energy security concept that calls for win-win cooperation, diverse forms of development and common security through coordinated supply. We should strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, particularly in the development and use of clean energy. We should increase grain output and inventory, improve the trading environment, enhance coordination at the macro level, curb speculation and stabilize grain prices so as to achieve common development. We should take a multi-pronged approach in such areas as finance, trade, assistance, the environment, intellectual property rights and technology transfer, and jointly uphold world food security.

Fourth, make all-out effort to counter the threat of H1N1 flu and other infectious diseases. Effective prevention and control of the H1N1 flu are crucial to people's health and economic and social stability around the world. The international community should take swift actions under the framework of International Health Regulations to enhance multilateral and bilateral communication and coordination, and build effective and comprehensive prevention and control mechanisms. We should conduct more research on the flu virus, engage in closer cooperation in studying the viral mechanism and developing rapid testing techniques, vaccines and drugs, and step up contingency stockpile and material preparations. We should broaden information sharing, closely monitor the spread of the disease as well as progress in prevention and control, share technologies and experience, and do all we can to ensure global public health security. We should also ensure the normal flow of trade and people where conditions permit, so as to minimize the impact of the flu on global trade and economic activities.

Fifth, promote peaceful and negotiated settlement of hotspot issues and regional disputes. We should pursue security through dialogue and seek stability through cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and trust. We should resolve regional conflicts and hotspot issues in a just and equitable way, and oppose the threat of sanctions or force. On issues that belong essentially to a country's internal affairs, the international community should fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country concerned, provide active and constructive help, and avoid willfully applying pressure or sanctions.

Mr. Chairman,

As a responsible member of the international community, China is committed to the path of peaceful development. We endeavor to promote global prosperity through our own development and play a constructive role in resolving major global issues.

In the face of the international financial crisis, the biggest challenge of the day, the Chinese Government swiftly adopted a proactive fiscal policy and moderately easy monetary policy, formulated a stimulus package to boost domestic demand and stabilize external demand, and put in place an investment plan totaling RMB4 trillion. Despite the pressure brought by the crisis, China has kept the RMB exchange rate basically stable. China has played an active part in the international effort to counter the crisis. We have provided US$1.5 billion of financing support to the International Finance Corporation and decided to purchase the bonds of International Monetary Fund in support of its resources increase. We have signed bilateral currency swap agreements worth RMB650 billion with relevant countries and regions, established a US$10 billion China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation, and actively participated in the building of a regional reserve pool under the Chiang Mai Initiative. And we have sent large procurement missions abroad to help boost global demand. China will continue to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination with other countries, promote reform of the international financial system, actively uphold the stability of the multilateral trading regime and work for the early recovery of the world economy.

Mr. Chairman,

Over the past 13 years, countries in Asia and Europe have drawn on their economic complementarities, attached importance to each other politically and learned from each other in the cultural sphere. Together, we have promoted multilaterism and advanced Asia-Europe cooperation. China is ready to work with all parties to build the new Asia-Europe partnership in an all-round way, and jointly write a new chapter in Asia-Europe cooperation.