The Chinese representative to the 120th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on Monday urged all countries to abandon any form of trade and investment protectionism amid the sweeping financial crisis.

"During times of economic difficulties, the international community should abandon all forms of trade and investment protectionism and work for the progress of the Doha round of negotiations at an early date," Uyunqimg, Vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said at the Addis Ababa meeting.

She told fellow parliamentarians that the outbreak of the global financial crisis added to the destabilizing factors and uncertainties in the international political and economic arenas, and posed grave challenges to the political, economic and social life of various countries.

"Therefore, it is timely and fitting for this IPU Assembly to put the tackling of the crisis top on its agenda," she said.

Due to their low level of economic development, lack of diversity in economic structure and vulnerability of the financial system, developing countries are far more severely affected by the financial crisis than developed countries.

The Chinese official called on the international community, developed countries in particular, to shoulder their due responsibilities and obligations, continue to honor commitments of assistance and debt reduction, maintain and increase assistance to developing countries to help them tide over the difficulties and maintain financial stability and economic growth.

"We hope that parliaments around the world will play a positive role, avoiding any legislation that is protectionist in nature and urging their respective governments to shun any action that may aggravate the economic hardship for developing countries under the current circumstances," she said.

The April 5-10 meeting attracted over 1,000 legislators from around the world, and the delegates are scheduled to discuss the political, economic and social situation in the world with the overall theme of "Parliaments: Building Peace, Democracy and Development in times of crisis."

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2009)