First, we should foster Asian awareness to build a harmonious Asia. Given the rich diversity in Asia, our cooperation should start with fostering Asian awareness. In conducting Asia cooperation, we should respect the diversity among the member countries, observe the principle of voluntary participation and building consensus, be open and inclusive and make gradual progress. Priority should be given to boosting dialogue and understanding and enhancing unity among Asian countries. With this in mind, the ACD may conduct dialogues among different religions and civilizations and cultural exchanges in various forms through multiple channels. It should expand cooperation in tourism and education, encourage and promote friendly exchanges among young people; and it should fully leverage the role of the business community, academia, media organizations and non-governmental groups so as to provide strong intellectual and public support for Asia cooperation.

Second, we should make our cooperation more efficient to accelerate Asia's development. The rich diversity of Asian countries also means strong complementarity among us. Asia cooperation has vast potential and a bright future. The ACD should ensure implementation of proposals and initiatives agreed upon and deepen pragmatic cooperation so that the cooperation will create concrete progress. The ACD should integrate resources and focus on carrying out result-oriented cooperation in areas of common interest of developing countries, namely, food security, energy security, connectivity, finance, education and poverty alleviation, so as to make Asia cooperation more effective. The ACD should build platforms and open up channels for participation in regional cooperation by business community, academic institutes and other nongovernmental groups. The ACD should enhance institutional building, improve the cooperation mechanism and make Asia cooperation more coordinated, consistent, coherent and effective.

Third, we should build Asian consensus to increase Asia's influence. The rich diversity of Asian countries reflects the wide-ranging views of the countries. To a great extent, consensus reached among Asian countries may represent what the vast majority of countries in the world have agreed on. On major issues which are of great concern to the international community such as global economic governance, reform of the international financial system, climate change, Millennium Development Goals as well as food and energy security, the Asian countries should exercise their increasing influence and use platforms such as the ACD to build consensus, express the views of Asia and shape discussions of international hotspot issues.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China over 60 years ago and particularly since the launching of the reform and opening-up program over 30 years ago, China has made world renowned progress in its modernization drive. Still, China has remained the world's largest developing country. China's independent foreign policy of peace has remained unchanged, and China's basic state policy of peaceful development and opening to the outside world has also remained unchanged.

The more progress China makes in development and the closer its links with other parts of Asia and the world become, the more important it is for China to have a stable regional environment and a peaceful international environment. China went through much suffering and hardships in modern history, and it was through arduous struggle that we won liberation, independence and people's freedom. We are deeply aware of the importance of development and the value of peace. And this makes us all the more determined to pursue peaceful development, follow the win-win strategy of opening-up, and implement the policy of fostering friendship and partnerships with neighbors. China will always be a staunch force for upholding peace and stability in both Asia and the world. On the basis of firmly safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, we are committed to resolving differences and disputes with relevant countries peacefully through friendly negotiations. China will never seek hegemony. China will always be a trustworthy and reliable cooperation partner of the other Asian people.

Currently, China's economy is generally sound. We have full confidence in our ability to speed up the shift of growth model, ensure stable external demand, expand domestic demand and build in an all-round way a society of initial prosperity at a higher level that benefits the over one billion Chinese people. In the second decade of this century, China will continue to open its economy in an all-round way. We are committed to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation with developed countries, strengthening comprehensive cooperation with other developing countries and deepening and expanding result-oriented cooperation with our neighbors. China will deepen the opening of its coastal regions, accelerate the opening of its inland and border regions and seek common development with its neighbors. The development of other Asian countries provides enabling conditions for the development of China, and China's sustained growth and prosperity will continue to bring important opportunities of development to other Asian countries.

China values the role the ACD plays and has actively participated in its cooperation in various fields and at multiple levels. Over the past decade and more, China has hosted a number of ACD-related activities, including the Third ACD Ministerial Meeting, the Workshop for Agricultural Ministers and the seminars for poverty reduction, thus making active contribution to pan-Asian cooperation. China is ready to take this ACD Summit as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with other member countries and make new and bigger contribution to the development and prosperity of Asia and the world and to improving the wellbeing of our peoples.

Asia is our shared home. Asia cooperation is our joint cause, and to build a better Asia is our common aspiration. We should remain true to the vision of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and the goal of achieving common development through cooperation in a mutually accommodating and step-by-step way. I am confident that by doing so, we can certainly create an even brighter future for Asia!

Thank you!