Ladies and Gentlemen, The Boao Forum for Asia was founded five years ago when China began to implement its 10th five-year plan. Five years later, when the Forum meets for its current session, China is beginning to implement the 11th five-year plan. Over the past five years, China has steadily advanced its reform and opening-up program.

It overcame the difficulties caused by the Asian financial crisis and prevailed over SARS and other natural disasters. It has overcome some destabilizing factors and risks in the economy and maintained fast yet steady economic growth.

In 2005, China's GDP grew by 9.5 percent, topping 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars and averaging 1,700 U.S. dollars per person. This has paved the way for ensuring China's economic development in the coming five years. The outlines of the national economic and social development.

Ladies and Gentlemen, China pursues scientific, balanced and harmonious development domestically and peace, opening-up and cooperation externally. This is what China's peaceful development is about.

As repeatedly pointed out by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, China's pursuit of peaceful development is determined by China's national conditions, rooted in China's history, tradition and culture, and in keeping with the global trend of development.

It is a right choice that meets the fundamental interests of the people in China and the world at large. By firmly pursuing peaceful development, China is growing in strength. And this has created more opportunities to its neighbors and the whole world. Particularly since it joined the WTO, China had imported close to 500 billion U.S. dollars of goods annually, creating about 10 million jobs for other countries and regions concerned.

Statistics show that China's imports from Asian countries and areas totaled 440 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, up by 20 percent year on year, accounting for 67 percent of China's total imports. Overseas investment by Chinese companies has increased by over 20 percent annually, with 80 percent of it made in Asia.

In 2005, 31 million overseas visits were made by Chinese. Asia is the top choice of a large number of Chinese tourists. All this has played and will continue to play an important role in promoting economic growth in Asia and the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, As a large and responsible country, China is politically committed to building a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity, a world of harmony maintaining each other's characteristics.

We recognize that there is diversity in Asia and in the world, and that there is diversity in human cultures and the differences of interests. We seek harmonious coexistence in diversity and common development despite these differences. China is a part of Asia.

Asia's harmony and prosperity go hand in hand with China's peaceful development. We will continue to pursue the principle of building good relationship with neighbors and the policy of fostering a harmonious, secure and prosperous neighboring environment.

We will actively participate in Asian intra-regional cooperation, explore effective ways of achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes for all Asian countries and promote healthy development of regional cooperation.

We will continue to pursue a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation.

We will strengthen political dialogue among Asian countries on the basis of the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to enhance mutual trust, resolve disputes, narrow differences, expand common ground and promote peace, security and stability of the region.

China is the largest developing country, and Asia is the largest developing region. In the course of promoting peace and common development of the region, China will seek even closer mutual support and partnership with other Asian countries.

Cooperation in diversified forms is flourishing in Asia. To seek more opportunities and achieve mutual benefit and development for Asia, it is important that the governments and peoples in Asia make unremitting efforts in the following areas:

First, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to promote common and sustainable development. With the acceleration of economic globalization, interests of countries have become increasingly inter-connected. No country can sustain its development in isolation from the common development of the region and the world.

With their economies being highly complementary in nature, the Asian countries enjoy broad prospects for cooperation in practical terms in finance, energy, transportation, agriculture, small- and medium-sized enterprises, cultural industries, information technology and public health. We should strengthen various regional cooperation mechanisms to enhance practical cooperation and achieve balanced economic development that benefits all countries in the region.

Second, uphold harmonious coexistence and respect and safeguard diversity in the region. Diversity of civilizations is a basic feature of human society and a fundamental driving force for human progress. Differences in social system, history and culture, and level and model of economic development among Asian countries have not and should not hinder our efforts to expand exchanges, increase common understanding and strengthen cooperation on the basis of respecting diversity.

We believe in the value of "harmony being the most important" and "harmony with individual characteristics". We believe that different civilizations should have exchanges and learn from each other and that people of different beliefs should respect and show tolerance to each other. By doing so, different countries and regions can draw on each other's strengths and coexist in peace and harmony.

Third, continue to be inclusive and open to the whole world. Asia's development and the global development are mutually reinforcing. While strengthening intra-regional cooperation, we should open further to the world and seek cooperation with the world. We should be open-minded and learn from the successes of other countries and regions and welcome their participation in Asia's peaceful development. As a Chinese saying goes, "The ocean is vast and deep because it admits all rivers." As we follow the trend of the world and be all-inclusive, we can certainly embark upon a path of regional development with Asian features suited to the conditions in Asia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China's development is closely linked with the development of the rest of Asia. China's development will certainly contribute to the prosperity of Asia. China will stay firmly on the path of peaceful development, hold higher the banner of peace, development and cooperation, and work with other peoples in the region to create a better future of harmony and prosperity for Asia.

Thank you!