China yesterday called on developed countries to back up
developing countries' efforts to foster open and just world
trade.
President Hu
Jintao, together with heads of state from India, Brazil, Mexico
and South Africa, joined in calling for more consideration for
developing countries.
At the outreach session of the G8 summit with leaders of the
five major developing countries, Hu said: "Together, we (G8+5)
account for about 75 percent of the global economy. We can do a
great service to the balanced and sustained development of the
world economy if we do a good job with our own economies."
"To this end, we should commit ourselves to adopting effective
fiscal and monetary policies, readjusting our economic structures
and promoting balanced and sustained development of the world
economy," Hu said.
This G8 Summit, featuring Britain, Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, the United States and Russia is focused on the world
economy and global climate change.
Leaders have agreed on the text of a communique on combating
global warming, German negotiator Bernd Pfaffenbach told
reporters.
He said they had agreed to try to reduce greenhouse gases by
promoting cleaner technology and energy efficiency. No specific
targets were mentioned in the text.
This is the second time Hu has been invited to participate in G8
dialogue since 2003.
Leaders of the five developing states welcomed a decision
adopted by G8 finance ministers to promote further debt relief for
a number of the world's poorest countries.
Some observers say Hu's attendance indicates that developed
industrial countries increasingly recognize China's influence on
the world economy.
"China needs the G8 and the G8 needs China," said Shen Jiru with
the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences.
With increasing new threats and challenges to world relations,
such as regional security and economic integration, it is
impossible for any country to deal with those problems
independently, Shen added.
He expressed belief that an expanding dialogue between G8 and
developing countries would become the norm. "It is hard to see how
the international community can deal with major world issues
without involving influential developing countries like China,"
Shen said.
On the sidelines of the summit, Hu also met with British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French
President Jacques Chirac.
They exchanged views on Sino-EU relations, and more sensitive
issues including Europe's 16-year arms embargo on China, and the
possible granting to China of full market economy status.
(China Daily July 8, 2005)