China Attaches Great Importance to South-South Cooperation, Li Says

China Thursday voiced its willingness to work together with other developing countries to further cooperation with them for the common development in the world in the new era.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing, head of the Chinese Government delegation, made the statement at the current South Summit in the Cuban capital of Havana.

"Looking forward into the new century, China will, as always, share weal and woe with other developing countries, enhance cooperation with them and work for the common development and prosperity of all countries in the process of economic globalization," he said.

"Being a developing country, China once experienced the same suffering as other developing countries and is now faced with a common task of development," he said.

"China has for decades pursued an independent foreign policy of peace, no matter how the international situation has changed," he said.

"We in China have based our diplomatic work on enhanced solidarity and closer cooperation with developing countries, unswervingly stood by and cooperated with developing countries and peoples and made unremitting efforts in opposing hegemonism, promoting world multipolarization and facilitating the establishment of a fair and rational new international political and economic order," he said.

China has long supported and actively participated in the South-South cooperation in many fields in accordance with the principles of equality and mutual benefit, stressing practical effects, long-term cooperation and going in for joint development, he said.

China has rendered material, technical and financial assistance to more than 130 countries and dispatched a large number of professionals and technicians to them and set up professional training centers there to offer technical training for free, he said.

"By making full use of its advantages, we have also engaged in technical cooperation with them in both research and production." he said.

To explore new ways for the South-South cooperation in the new era, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in Beijing, capital of China, this year at the Chinese initiative, he said.

"The Chinese people fought a sanguinary war, won national independence and liberation and founded the People's Republic of China in the mid-twentieth century," he said. Over the past 50 years, tremendous changes have taken place in China, he said.

"Particularly, in the last two decades since the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy, China's overall national strength, its social productive forces and the living standards of its people have all improved or increased by a large margin and eye-catching achievements have been scored in the building of its material and spiritual civilization," he said.

"But we are soberly aware that there are still many difficulties and challenges on our way ahead," he said. "Our per capital GNP (gross national product) is still relatively low in the world."

China has a huge population, and tens of millions of people are still living below poverty line although a great number of people shake off poverty every year, he said. "The economic structure is undergoing strategic transformation, "he said.

"Therefore, to build socialism with Chinese characteristics is indeed a great cause, and also an arduous task," he said. "To succeed in this cause, we need to make unremitting efforts for a long time to go."

The South Summit opened on Wednesday morning in the largest gathering of heads of state and government of the Group of 77 since the founding of the body in 1964.

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