Remarks by Li Changchun, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, at the Opening Ceremony of the China-Europe High-Level Political Party Forum

(Beijing, China, May 24, 2010)

First, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to political party leaders from Europe on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is extraordinarily significant for us to meet here today for in-depth exchanges on major issues of mutual interest. The event testifies to further progress in exchanges and dialogue between Chinese and European political parties. It also indicates that another major platform has been established for Sino-European strategic communication and all-round cooperation.

Since the People's Republic of China was founded more than six decades ago, the CPC has led the Chinese people in forging ahead with determination and an innovative spirit. Their strenuous efforts have brought about tremendous progress in China's political, economic, cultural and social spheres, lifting the nation out of poverty and backwardness. China currently is the world's third biggest economy as well as its biggest exporter. It also ranks first worldwide in terms of the output of many industrial and agricultural products such as iron and steel and grain. Driven by its rapid economic growth, the Chinese people's living standards have also risen dramatically. Notable improvements have been made in basic living conditions such as food, clothing, housing and means of transportation, as well as healthcare, medical services and education. Facts show that the CPC has found a development path suited to China's national conditions through persistent efforts in the past six decades, especially in the past three decades since the reform and opening up began. The ancient nation is now teeming with vitality.

At the same time, as the ruling party in a large developing country with a population of 1.3 billion, the CPC knows well that China still has a long way to go. A large population, weak economic foundations and unbalanced development are the hallmarks of today's China. Our per-capita GDP has just exceeded $3,000, lower than more than 100 other countries. Based on UN standards, we have more than 100 million poor people. China therefore has to fight an uphill battle as it tries to develop its economy and improve people's livelihoods. To modernize a nation that has 300 million people more than the total population of the 56 high-income countries, the difficulty and magnitude of our task has been rarely seen elsewhere in the world. The scope and complexity of the problems we confront in promoting reform and development while maintaining stability are also unparalleled, so are the challenges and risks we face as we move forward. A central task for China now is to achieve sound and rapid development being guided by the Scientific Outlook on Development while making due contributions to mankind's common development and progress through its own development.

The global financial crisis has imposed unprecedented pressure and challenges on China's economic and social development since the beginning of the new century. In the face of the huge challenges, the CPC and the Chinese Government have taken ensuring growth, adjusting the economic structure and improving people's livelihoods as central tasks. We have implemented a proactive fiscal policy and a moderately relaxed monetary policy while launching a two-year investment plan totaling 4 trillion yuan ($588 billion). By relying on efforts to increase domestic demand, improving the social security system and raising people's living standards, we have become the first country to achieve an economic recovery despite a sharp fall in exports. Last year, China's GDP increased 8.7 percent from the previous year. While maintaining economic and social development and stability at home, we have made major contributions to helping the world economy to emerge from the crisis.

Since the beginning of this year, we have persisted in implementing the package plan designed to cope with the impact of the global financial crisis, leading to a continued economic rebound. China's GDP rose 11.9 percent in the first quarter of this year over the same period last year. But the foundation for an economic recovery in China is still not solid, with a combination of old and new problems haunting China's economic development. International economic environment will also become more complicated after the end of the financial crisis. In essence, the global financial crisis has taken a toll on China's economic development mode. We are well aware we must hasten the change of our economic development mode in a bid to maintain sound and rapid economic and social development. We must fulfill the "three transitions" as proposed at the 17th CPC National Congress in 2007: The transition from relying mainly on investment and export to relying on a well coordinated combination of consumption, investment and export; The transition from secondary industry serving as the major driving force to primary, secondary and tertiary industries jointly driving economic growth; The transition from relying heavily on increased consumption of material resources to relying mainly on advances in science and technology, improvement in the quality of the workforce and innovation in management.

To these ends, we will speed up the adjustment of China's economic, national income distribution and urban-rural structures to pave the way for long-term, stable and rapid economic development. We will accelerate industrial restructuring to make our industry more technologically advanced and internationally competitive. We will boost independent innovation while stepping up efforts to apply scientific and technological achievements in production. We will hasten the change of agricultural development mode while keeping to a path of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. We will forge a conservation culture by implementing the strategy of sustainable development. We will strike a balance between economic and social development by promoting social development with a focus on improving people's livelihoods. We will boost the cultural industry while improving non-profit cultural services. Based on an opening-up strategy aimed at achieving win-win outcomes, we will accelerate the adjustment and transformation of China's international trade mix as well as the development mode of its export sector to strengthen its open economy.

We believe the quality of China's economic development will further improve as it accelerates the adjustment of its economic development mode. At the same time, its domestic demand will increase, its environmentally friendly industries and service market will expand, its trade mix will be more balanced and its open economy will be upgraded. All this is not only conducive to China's long-term sustainable development, but will also present unprecedented opportunities for strengthened cooperation between China and Europe in various fields as well as for the development of all other countries including European countries.

We are aware all countries face myriads of opportunities for development given the deepening of world multipolarization and economic globalization as well as burgeoning technological revolutions. At the same time, global issues, such as climate change, food security, energy security, cross-border crime, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, disaster prevention and mitigation and the prevention of major epidemic disease, are on the rise. Traditional security threats and non-traditional security threats are becoming interwoven, posing a grave challenge to mankind's survival and development. While the world is undergoing dramatic developments, changes and adjustments, China and Europe have more common interests than ever before. This presents excellent opportunities for strengthened dialogue and exchanges between Chinese and European political parties.

We are aware the global financial crisis has revealed serious defects in the current international economic and financial systems. An in-depth reform of the global governance system has been put high on the world's agenda. In this context, it is more necessary than ever for China and Europe, two emerging powers in the international arena, to conduct strategic cooperation. That is why the dialogue between Chinese and European political parties is promising.

We are also aware that the CPC and European political parties are important forces on China's and Europe's political stages. They undertake shared responsibilities in coping with global challenges, resolving global problems, safeguarding world peace and stability, promoting common development of the world and helping deepen comprehensive cooperation between China and Europe. At a time when China and Europe face new opportunities to deepen strategic cooperation, we have a common task of further strengthening dialogue between Chinese and European political parties.

I'd like to take this opportunity to make four suggestions on strengthening China-Europe political party dialogue for the common development of China and Europe:

First, Chinese and European political parties should conduct in-depth exchanges on global challenges as well as major international issues. We should help promote the reform of the international economic and financial systems, improve global governance, and advance economic globalization in the direction of balanced development, shared benefits and win-win progress. We should also contribute our wisdom and efforts to building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

Second, Chinese and European political parties should focus on helping maintain friendly relations between China and Europe. We should exchange views on major issues with strategic implications for guiding the direction of overall bilateral relations, while making proposals on expanding China-Europe strategic cooperation and on ensuring the healthy and stable development of Sino-European relations in the long run.

Third, Chinese and European political parties should engage in open debates on common problems and challenges in government administration. We should share experiences in developing the economy, improving people's livelihoods, upholding social equality and protecting the environment in the spirit of achieving common development by learning from each other.

Fourth, Chinese and European political parties should exchange views on issues concerning political party building. We should share our reflections and thoughts on the development of our respective parties so we can make progress together by drawing on each other's strong points.

The China-Europe High-Level Political Party Forum opening today is a continuation as well as a deepening of the dialogue between Chinese and European political parties. I believe that the forum will contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and trust between Chinese and European political parties, expanding the existing consensus between the CPC and political parities in European countries and making the China-Europe comprehensive strategic cooperation more beneficial to both sides. I wish the forum a great success.