Chinese President Hu Jintao Saturday expressed "much confidence about Asia's future" in his keynote speech at the opening session of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2004 annual conference.

He said that in the past few years, with the support of the fellow Asian countries and the larger international community, the BFA has developed steadily, playing an increasingly prominent role in regional cooperation and demonstrating to the rest of the world the fervent desire of the Asian people for a win-win scenario through closer cooperation.

Coming into the 21st century, the international situation has continued to undergo profound and complicated changes. World multipolarization and economic globalization are progressing amid twists and turns. Science and technology are advancing with each passing day.

"We have before us both development opportunities that we must seize and grave challenges that we must deal with," he said.

Despite the widespread conflicts and clashes of interest and increasing numbers of factors of uncertainty and instability, peace and development remain the overriding themes of the times. The world needs peace, countries desire development and people want cooperation. This has become an irresistible trend of history.

"We are glad to see that Asia has, on the whole, enjoyed stability, with peace, development and cooperation becoming the mainstream of an advancing Asia. With concerted efforts, Asian countries have freed themselves from the shadow of the financial crisis, overcome the impact of SARS and bird flu, succeeded in domestic economic restructuring, and quickened the tempo of industrial upgrading and transformation, promoted a robust regional cooperation, and increased the capacity to tide over potential risks. Asia retains its position as one of the world's most dynamic regions and a key growth point in global trade."

"All this gives us much confidence about Asia's future," he said.

Asian economies to sustain development on cooperation and communication

Asian economies will surely make constant progress in the process of regional integration, as long as they continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, enhance existing regional cooperation, gradually push forward Asian cooperation as a whole, while keeping communication and coordination with other countries, regions and international organizations.

Hu made the remark when answering a question from a participant of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

Major countries to bear greater responsibilities

President Hu called on major Asian countries to strengthen communication and coordination, explore more areas of common interest through regional cooperation, and jointly promote stability and prosperity in Asia.

In response to a question raised by a Chinese economist at the Boao Forum for Asia. Hu said China always holds that major regional countries should bear greater responsibility for regional peace and development, and that China welcomes major Asian countries to play a more active and constructive role in regional cooperation.

China's efforts to strengthen its cooperation with Asian neighbors

In his 20-minute speech, the Chinese president also outlined five steps China plans to take to strengthen its cooperation with Asian neighbors, namely, enhancing friendship and political trust and good-neighborliness; expanding and deepening bilateral economic cooperation; accelerating regional economic integration; promoting cultural interaction and personnel exchanges, and facilitating security dialogue and military-to-military exchanges.

China will follow a peaceful development path holding high the banners of peace, development and cooperation, join the other Asian countries in bringing about Asian rejuvenation, and making greater contribution to the lofty cause of peace and development in the world, he said

China to enhance good-neighborliness for Asian rejuvenation

Hu Jintao said that China will enhance friendship and political trust and good-neighborliness as it sincere wishes to cultivate with other Asian countries an overall and close partnership geared to Asian rejuvenation.

This is a partnership that features equality and mutual trust politically, mutual benefit and win-win economically, exchange and emulation culturally, and dialogue and cooperation on the security front.

As part of its efforts to this end, China will develop partnerships with other Asian countries on the basis of the United Nations Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, treating all countries as equals irrespective of size and committing to settling whatever disputes there might be through dialogue. China hopes to see stronger high-level ties and interactions at other levels with other fellow Asian countries, and more timely consultations and coordination on major international and regional issues, the president said.

China to expand cooperation with other Asian countries

China will expand and deepen bilateral economic cooperation with other Asian countries, Hu Jintao said.

In this regard, Hu said, China is ready to develop all-round economic cooperation with fellow Asian countries with emphasis placed on trade, investment, natural resources, information, pharmaceuticals, health service, environmental protection, transportation, science and technology, agriculture, poverty alleviation, and development of human resources.

China will continue taking practical steps to help other developing Asian countries with their economic development through preferential policies. At the same time, China will encourage its enterprises to take Asia as their principal destination for "going global" strategy, and combines its western development strategy and the Northeast rejuvenation strategy with strengthened economic cooperation with the neighboring countries, the president said.

China to accelerate regional economic integration in Asia

President Hu promised China's readiness to accelerate regional economic integration in Asia. Hu said China hopes to study with fellow Asian countries on possible free trade arrangements of various forms consistent with prospective cooperation network of free trade areas in Asia. China is ready to step up coordination with other Asian partners on macro-economic and financial policies and probe into the establishment of regional cooperation regime of investors, securities market, and financial institutions. The president said China will work actively to promote the institutional building of all kinds of economic cooperation organizations with a view to consolidating resources, prioritizing the key areas and conducting performance-oriented cooperation.

China to promote cultural interaction, personnel exchanges with other Asian countries

Hu said China is committed to stronger cultural exchanges in Asia, and encourages media cooperation to jointly build an Asia-wide cultural market. China supports inter-culture and inter-religion dialogues in Asia, and advocates greater understanding and tolerance, and is ready to work with other Asian countries in promoting youth exchanges, and providing greater convenience for people's travel on public, business and tourist purposes, the president said.

China to facilitate security dialogue with other Asian countries

Chinese President Hu Jintao said that to facilitate security dialogue and military-to-military exchanges with other Asian countries, China will stick to its new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation.

China also hopes to establish a security relationship and cooperation featuring non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting at any third party, Hu said.

He said China will step up its cooperation and dialogue with other Asian countries in such security areas as regional counter-terrorism, combating transnational crimes, maritime security, and non-proliferation, giving full play to existing multilateral security mechanisms. China is ready to set up a military security dialogue mechanism with other Asian countries and actively promote confidence-building cooperation in the military field, the president said.

By People's Daily Online