Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao outlined his proposals to overcome difficulties and
challenges in the region while addressing the first East Asia
Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
In his speech, entitled "Be Open and Inclusive, and Achieve
Mutual Benefit and Common Progress", Wen said the world is
experiencing complex and profound changes, which have presented
East Asian countries with both rare opportunities and numerous
challenges.
East Asia, with abundant resources, a huge market and rich
experiences gained over the years, has a solid foundation for
developing and revitalizing itself, he said.
However, Wen noted that in East Asia, there are both problems
left over from the Cold War and long-standing territorial, ethnic
and religious issues, as well as increasingly acute new problems
such as terrorism, transnational crimes, natural disasters and the
spread of communicable diseases.
The region also faces problems such as unbalanced development
and a widening divide between rich and poor, a sharp increase in
energy and resource consumption, and the deterioration of the
ecological environment, he added.
Wen believes that East Asian countries should strengthen
coordination and tackle the challenges together.
"First, we should give priority to development and promoting
common prosperity," Wen said, citing the status quo that East Asia
is home to a large proportion of the world's poor.
"Development is the most pressing regional issue and number one
priority for national governments," he stressed. "If the
development issue is not addressed in a fundamental way, our region
cannot expect to enjoy lasting peace and security."
"Second, we should build harmonious relations and safeguard
peace and stability," Wen said.
Elaborating on his proposal, Wen said: "We should respect and
treat one another on an equal footing, resolve disputes and
differences through dialogue and coordination, increase high-level
exchange, and strengthen consultation and coordination on
international and regional issues."
"Third, we should strive to achieve win-win progress through
cooperation. Under the current circumstances, cooperation is the
only way to common development," Wen stressed.
Wen also emphasized the importance of the East Asia Summit,
saying that it marks a new phase in East Asia cooperation and
provides a new platform for attendants to discuss important
issues.
The inaugural East Asia Summit was attended by leaders from the
10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New
Zealand.
(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2005)