Hu raises proposal on boosting world economy

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-09 15:16

Toyako -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday put up a four-point proposal on boosting the world economy to develop in a balanced, coordinated and sustainable way.

US President George W. Bush (L) laughs with Chinese President Hu Jintao during a photo opportunity at the Major Economies' leaders meeting at the G8 Summit in Toyako July 9, 2008. [Agencies]

Addressing an outreach session of the Group of Eight (G8) in the northern Japanese resort, Hu said the combined population of G8 plus China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, South Korea, Indonesia and Australia accounts for 60 percent of the world's total, and their collective economic power three forths of the world's total.

These countries are duty-bound to work together to address the challenges and promote a steady growth of the world economy, and should start with fundamental issues such as systems and institutions in order to promote balanced, coordinated and sustainable development of the world economy, the Chinese president said.

To achieve the goal, Hu made a four-point proposal:

-- Build a sustainable world economic system. Counties should commit themselves to sustainable development, strengthen coordination of macro-economic policies and make concerted efforts to maintain the growth of the world economy.

The G8 should pay more attention to the voices and views from outside. The developed and developing countries should build a global development partnership between them featuring equality, mutual benefit and win-win progress, and work together to advance economic globalization in the direction of balanced development, shared benefits and win-win progress.

-- Build an inclusive and orderly international financial system. Countries should work together to give the developing countries greater say and representation in international financial institutions, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the international financial system.

The World Bank should make greater efforts to help the developing countries to adapt to economic globalization and achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The International Monetary Fund should step up its monitoring and early-warning of the international financial market, particularly the short-term capital flows and risks of financial innovation, and play a greater role in upholding international financial stability.

-- Build a fair and equitable international trade regime. Countries should jointly oppose trade protectionism, support efforts to strengthen the multilateral trading regime, and work for an early, comprehensive and balanced outcome of the Doha Round negotiations so as to achieve the goal of the development round. Countries should support the World Trade Organization in its "Aid for Trade" initiative.

-- Build a fair and effective global development system. Developed countries should take credible measures to honor their commitments by increasing assistance, opening markets, transferring more technologies to the developing countries and relieving their debts. The developing countries, on their part, should enhance capacity building.

The United Nations should continue to provide guidance and coordination and urge the international community to increase input in development, ensure resources for development and strengthen development institutions. The Monterrey Consensus, which was reached at the UN International Conference on Financing for Development in the Mexican city of Monterrey in 2002, should be implemented in real earnest and the MDGs should be achieved on schedule. It is of particular importance to provide Africa with more development resources and help Africa enhance its self-development capabilities.

The outreach session of the G8 summit was convened at the Windsor Hotel and attended by leaders of the G8, which comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, and leaders from five major developing nations, namely, China, Brazil, India, South Africa and Mexico.

The Chinese president arrived in Japan Monday and is scheduled to return home later Wednesday.