Chinese President Raises Five-point Proposal on Human Capacity Building

Jiang Addresses APEC Meeting

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Chinese President Jiang Zemin Tuesday called for joint efforts of the international community to advance human capacity building at an APEC high-level meeting in Beijing.

In his speech at the APEC High Level Meeting on Human Capacity Building, Jiang proposed five points on human capacity building for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization.

-- APEC members should adopt a new concept of development and step up human capacity building.

Human resources building should be taken as an important field in APEC exchanges and cooperation and an important measure to assist developing members in their economic growth, narrow North- South gap and simulate coordinated development, Jiang said.

-- APEC members should set up a life-long education system and create a learning society. Efforts should be made to speed up the establishment of a society-wise life-long education system, vigorously develop vocational education and set up an extensive and multi-tiered education and training network.

-- APEC members should popularize information network and optimize methods of learning and self-improvement.

More people should be encouraged to log onto the Internet, and that the disadvantaged groups should be assisted in acquiring better capabilities for development, so that more people will benefit from information and network technology, Jiang stated.

The developed members of the international community should provide assistance to the developing ones to narrow the "digital divide" and make efforts to speed up the IT infrastructure construction of the latter, carry out related training programs for them, share knowledge resources with them and help improve their labor quality.

-- APEC member should carry forward the spirit of innovation and cultivate young talents.

-- APEC members should intensify exchanges and cooperation under the principle of mutual benefit and reciprocity.

He said that within the framework of APEC, to increase personnel exchanges, enhance information flow and foster a multi- level, multi-form cooperation mechanism to the benefit of all sides should become part of the organization's substantive cooperation.

The developing members should play their part. But at the same time, it is highly necessary for them to carry out cooperation under the principle of mutual benefit, reciprocity and common development.

"We hope that the developed members will render financial, material and technological support to the developing ones to speed up their human capacity building," he said, adding that this will contribute not only to the economic and social development of the developing members, but also to the early attainment of common prosperity in the region.

Vital for All

President Jiang said that to develop human resources and strengthen human capacity building has become a vital issue bearing on the development of all countries.

He said that the convention of the APEC high-level meeting in Beijing is of great significance to promoting human capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region.

"How should the cause of human development advance in the new century? This is a major subject facing the people of all countries," Jiang said, adding that mankind now faces new challenges and also new development opportunities.

He said that for centuries, mankind has been exploring resources on earth for its survival and development. He pointed out that the development and utilization of material resources provide the foundation for the progress of human society, while the development of human wisdom and capacity determines the depth and width of the exploration of material resources.

"In today's world, personnel training and human capacity building are of increasingly decisive significance in the competition of overall national strength," he said.

He said that the unlimited wisdom and creativity of mankind serve as an inexhaustible source of motive force behind civilization and progress.

The continuous social development has opened up broad vista for tapping fully human capacity, according to Jiang. He said that the dynamic revolution of new science and technology is exerting a profound and extensive impact on the development of mankind itself. He said that to strengthen human resources development and human capacity building never looked so important and so urgent as it does today.

At the same time, it must be noted that human resources are not automatically generated as population increases to a certain number, he pointed out, adding that rather, they need to be developed and nurtured.

He said that in recent years, many countries have taken positive steps to boost human resources development and capacity building and have achieved tangible results. However, he noted that human capacity building, on the whole, lags far behind the requirement of development, pointing to such problems as scarcity in professionals, irrational and unjust phenomena in international competition for talents and the widening gap in human capacity building between developing and developed countries.

"Failure to address these problems effectively is bound to hinder the development of countries, the developing countries in particular," Jiang said.

"We shoulder a common responsibility for the world's future," he said.

He expressed the belief that "as long as we all act in a spirit of mutual respect and common development, seek common ground while shelving differences, and increase cooperation, we will be able to build a splendid future."

Government Values Talented People

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the training of talented people, Jiang said Tuesday.

He said that the Chinese Government has initiated and is energetically implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the nation through science and education. The Chinese Government advocates respect for knowledge and talents and takes the development of human resources as an important means to boost sustained economic and social development.

It is the first time that China plays host to an APEC high- level meeting on human resources.

China is persistent in giving priority to developing science and education, facilitating the integral development of human resources, reforming the personnel system and labor and employment system. And the country is working hard to create conditions and environment for all kinds of talented people to play their role, continuously improve the ethical, scientific and cultural qualities of the whole nation and upgrade the knowledge and technical skills of the laborers.

Noting that China is still a developing country, Jiang said that in terms of human resources development, China has yet to meet the requirement of its economic and social development and still trails far behind APEC members at advanced level.

However, China is doing much to implement its talents strategy, develop its human resources, improve the all-round quality of the laborers and gain an edge in respect of human resources so as to give forceful support to the reform and opening-up endeavor and modernization drive, he stated.

"We stand ready to have closer exchanges and cooperation with other APEC members and work hard to contribute our share to human capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.