UNDP Symposium on New Economy and Development Opens in BeijingThe new knowledge-based economy has promoted the unprecedented, sustained development of the world economy, Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen said at the International Symposium on New Economy and Development which opened Thursday.The two-day symposium was jointly held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). In his speech at the opening ceremony of the meeting, Qian said that the new economy has had a far-reaching impact on all aspects of human life, such as the political, economic, social and cultural development of the mankind. Qian noted that the new economy, drawing support from the economic globalization and vise versa, has gone through the process of birth, growth, thriving and readjustment. At the same time, he pointed out that people should not overlook the adverse effects brought by the development of the new economy, in particular the imbalance of the world economic growth being further aggravated by the "digital divide." The vice-premier said in the process of pushing forward the new economy and development of information technology (IT), and readjusting its development strategy, China will continue to take an active part in boosting international economic and technological cooperation. He said China will continue to promote the healthy and balanced development of the world economy. Nearly 100 specialists, scholars, government officials and business persons from both China and abroad attended the symposium. The meetings will focus on such topics as the impact of the new economy on economic and social development of developing countries, the creation of a favorable macroeconomic environment for the development of the new economy and IT industry, assistance to developing countries, and bridging the digital divide. During the opening ceremony, Kerstin Leitner, resident representative of UNDP in China, read a message that UNDP Administrator Mark Brown sent to the meeting. Cheng Siwei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, made a keynote speech on the development prospect of the new economy in China. Among the participants were representatives from the UNDP, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, foreign diplomats in China, well-known specialists and scholars from China, Britain, Germany, the United States and Canada, officials from various departments of the Chinese government and personages from Chinese and international business circles. |
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