coordination in development is a long and arduous strategic task. Following the principle of making overall planning to ensure coordinated development, we are taking forceful measures to give stronger support to rural and other underdeveloped areas, speed up the development of social programs and gradually reverse the widening gap between agriculture and industry, between town and country and among different regions so as to ensure coordinated economic and social development.

--Strive to build a resources-conserving and environmentally friendly society. China is committed to saving resources and protecting the environment. Saving energy and reducing energy and resources consumption and pollution discharge have been set as obligatory targets in China's plan on national economic and social development. We have the confidence and resolve to accomplish this arduous task through unremitting efforts. We take climate change seriously and have formulated the national program on tackling climate change. We will work with other members of the international community to mitigate climate change.

--Improve the livelihood of the people. To protect and advance the interests of the people is the ultimate goal of all our endeavors. We need to build a harmonious society in all aspects, and the focus of our effort is to address issues concerning people's livelihood. Further steps are taken to increase employment, establish social insurance system covering both urban and rural population and quicken the pace of educational, health and cultural development. Vigorous efforts are being made to improve housing conditions, transportation, the living environment and public administration to ensure the benefit of reform and development will reach all.

--Deepen reform. China's economic and social development is driven by reform. We will continue to reform the economic system, remain committed to building a socialist market economy, bring into full play the fundamental role of the market in resource allocation, improve the effectiveness of the macroeconomic regulation system and establish institutional safeguards which facilitate scientific and harmonious development. We will continue to advance political reform, expand people's democracy, strengthen the rule of law, and promote social equity and justice. Without political reform, economic reform will not succeed.

China's economy has maintained rapid growth for almost 30 years. Will such development momentum continue? My answer is yes. We are fully confident about it for the following reasons: The pursuit of peace, development and cooperation is the trend of our times and this has made it possible for us to secure a long-term peaceful international environment. Being in a stage of rapid industrialization and urbanization, China has the material and technological foundation to sustain economic growth. It has growing market demand and an abundant and increasingly well trained labor force. China has a large number of dynamic companies which have emerged in the course of reform and by pursuing innovation, and it enjoys social and political stability. We need to pursue the right domestic and foreign policies and be able to adapt to change to fully seize these opportunities and make good use of these favorable conditions. Despite the difficulties, risks and challenges on our way ahead, we have the confidence, capability and means to surmount them and advance the modernization drive. China's development has a bright prospect.

Ladies and gentlemen,

China cannot achieve its development in isolation from the world, and the world needs China to ensure its development. Over the years, we have drawn upon the development practices of other countries and strengthened economic and technological cooperation and exchanges with them. This has boosted China's socioeconomic development, and we have contributed our due share to the growth of the global economy. China will stay on the path of peaceful development, pursue a win-win opening-up strategy, develop itself by securing a peaceful international environment and uphold world peace and promote common development with its development. China's development will promote world peace and development and will never pose a threat to any country. As China's development has shown and will continue to show, a prosperous, democratic, harmonious, civilized and modernized China will make even greater contribution to maintaining world peace and promoting human progress.

The new champions are new forces in the changing world economic environment. In particular, the global growth enterprises, which are most dynamic, competitive, and promising, are playing a key role in the world economic development. Here, I wish to reiterate that China's opening-up policy will definitely remain unchanged. We will improve the systems as well as the laws and regulations governing foreign economic activities and make them more compatible with international practices and the WTO rules. This will provide a more enabling environment to foreign companies, particularly the growth enterprises for doing business in China. China calls for resolving trade frictions through consultation. China is ready to enhance cooperation with all the other countries and their business communities on the basis of equality and mutual benefit to promote balanced, universal and win-win progress in economic globalization.

In conclusion, I wish the Forum full success!

(Source: www.chinaview.cn)