Jointly Open up new Vistas for Asia’s Development

In the past decade and more, intra-regional trade in Asia has expanded from US$1 trillion to US$3 trillion, and its share of total trade of all Asian countries increased from 30% to 50%. Yet this is still far less than that in the EU. Regional economic integration meets the interests of all Asian countries. We need to work in unison to promote trade liberalization and investment facilitation, and upgrade regional and sub-regional cooperation. The negotiation on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the largest trade agreement negotiation with the most extensive participation in East Asia, and the RCEP is integration of existing mature free trade areas. Being highly inclusive and based on Asia's industrial structure, economic model and social tradition, the RCEP is a phased-in arrangement that accommodates member countries at different levels of development, and it does not exclude other regional trading arrangements. China will work with all other parties to accelerate the negotiating process. At the same time, the launching of a feasibility study on a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) may be considered to maximize the benefits of trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific. China takes an open position towards the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). As long as the TPP is conducive to the development of global trade and the fostering of an equitable and open trading environment, China is happy to see its conclusion. We are committed to upholding the central role of the WTO multilateral trading system in global trade development. Both the RCEP and the TPP should become important supplements to the multilateral trading system, and these two mechanisms should go hand in hand and reinforce each other. We hope that agreement can be reached on the RCEP by 2015. As a Chinese saying goes, "When everybody puts firewood in the fire, the flame rises high." As long as the Asian countries make concerted efforts, we can ensure that Asia will continue to serve as an important engine driving the global economy.

Second, we should foster a general environment for integrated development and form an Asian community of common destiny. Economic integration is central to achieving common development in Asia. Asia's beautiful future hinges upon not only the development of each and every country but, more importantly, the common progress of the whole region. As a Chinese adage aptly puts it, "A single thread cannot be spun into a cord. And a single tree cannot create a forest." We the Asian countries need to deepen result-oriented cooperation in all fields, pursue integration through opening-up and development through integration, strengthen economic ties, seize the opportunity of innovation-driven development, and thus hold the destiny of development in our own hands.

Infrastructure connectivity is a basic condition for integrated development. Countries in the region should join hands and speed up infrastructure construction including rail, road, air and water transportation. China is ready to work with countries involved to draw up plans for building the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and upgrade China-ASEAN FTA. China will continue to promote the important projects of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road this year. China is ready to intensify consultations with relevant parties in and outside Asia on the preparations for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and hopes that the bank can be officially launched at an early date. Industrial complementarity is a key aspect of integrated development. We the Asian countries should take advantage of our geographical proximity to deepen cooperation across the upstream, mid-stream and downstream industrial chains, and build an industrial network and economic system that draw on our respective comparative strengths. The destiny of the Asian economy hinges on reform, innovation and structural adjustment. Asian countries need to ride the global trend of new technology revolution, enhance exchanges, and draw on each other's experience to advance scientific and technological progress and personnel training, especially young people, boost the "new economy" featuring green development, energy, environmental protection and the internet so as to seize an advantageous position in future development and raise industrial and economic competitiveness. This will not only increase the internal impetus for achieving sustained development in our region, but also create new opportunities for global economic recovery.

Third, we should maintain the general environment of peaceful development and build an Asian community of shared responsibilities. Regional turbulence courts disaster while stability in the neighborhood brings prosperity. Asia owes its progress to a peaceful and stable regional environment, and peace and stability are the fundamental safeguards for Asia's development. Sixty years ago, China, India and Myanmar jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which have become basic norms governing international relations. These principles embody Oriental wisdom and represent a major contribution to human civilization, and we should pass on the vision of peaceful coexistence from generation to generation. A close neighbor is better than a kinsman afar, and close neighbors can become best friends. To achieve peace and stability in Asia, we the Asian countries should build consensus, make active efforts and jointly fulfill our due responsibilities. We should promote security dialogue and consultation, strengthen cooperation on non-traditional security issues, including disaster management, maritime search and rescue, counter-terrorism and combating transnational crimes, and actively explore the establishment of a regional security cooperation framework in Asia.