Op-Ed Contributors

China wants mutual trust and benefit

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-12 08:11

Q: China and its neighbors have cordial people-to-people ties and cultural similarities. What has China done in recent years to promote social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with other Asian countries? What are the achievements?

A: China enjoys an enduring and strong historical and cultural bond with other Asian countries. It shares linguistic and cultural roots and has cultural similarities with some Asian nations. Such conditions have laid a solid basis for China to carry out social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation with its neighboring countries at the right time.

Since China advocates an open and inclusive concept of civilization, it believes that it is important to vigorously facilitate social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges among Asian nations on the basis of fully respecting their cultures and traditions, social and political systems and paths of economic development. This will further enhance understanding, friendship and mutual trust between the peoples of China and its neighboring countries. It will consolidate public support for friendly relations between China and its neighbors, too.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and its neighboring countries have been most robust in recent years through broader and more substantive cooperation on a larger scale. More and more people are traveling between China and other Asian countries. Last year, Chinese immigration authorities registered about 21.6898 million inbound and outbound visits by people from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia alone. Apart from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Asian countries are the most popular overseas tourist destinations for Chinese mainland residents. And Japan and the ROK were the two largest sources of foreign visitors to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

In 2009, more than 160,000 students from other Asian countries came to study in China. Eight of China's neighbors are among its top 10 overseas sources of students. We place great importance on enhanced youth exchanges among Asian countries and have established annual youth exchange mechanisms with Japan, India, Vietnam, Mongolia and Pakistan.

We have set up more than 100 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in Asia and Chinese Cultural Centers in the ROK, Japan and Mongolia. "Happy Spring Festival", "China-Thailand Affinity" Gala, "Asian Arts Festival" and other Chinese cultural exchange programs have been well-received by people in neighboring countries. We value media exchanges and cooperation with other Asian countries. Regional information ministers' conferences and high-level forums on broadcasting and television have been held regularly. We encourage exchanges and visits between media organizations of China and other Asian nations to increase media coverage about each other and enhance mutual understanding.

China has actively trained all kinds of professionals from other developing countries in Asia. In the past few years, more than 14,000 professionals from 10 ASEAN member states have received training in more than 10 areas, including economy, trade, telecommunications, agriculture and finance. The programs have been financed by the Special Fund for Asia Cooperation, ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund and some foreign assistance funds.

Mutual trust is essential for strong state-to-state relations. The public is the foundation of good-neighborly ties. China will always work with its neighbors to have more cultural, tourist, educational and youth exchanges and cooperation, and further deepen mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples to garner support for good-neighborly ties.

Q: Asia, as a whole, is now on an upward trajectory with a higher standing and greater voice and influence in major international issues. How does China coordinate and cooperate with other Asian countries on major global issues?

A: China has highlighted major global issues such as reform of the international system, climate change, energy, food security and sustainable development. Vibrant bilateral and multilateral cooperation on such issues has become a most promising new growth area in international cooperation. Since China, India, Indonesia and other emerging countries in Asia now have a more important role to play, the international community pays closer attention to Asian nations' stance on global issues. China and many Asian countries, which are in similar situations and share the fundamental interests, have engaged in multifaceted coordination and cooperation to address global issues together.

We have reached out to the ROK, India, Indonesia and other Asian members of G20 to coordinate positions to jointly facilitate reform of the international financial system, enhance institutional power of emerging markets and developing countries in such international governance mechanisms as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and to actively support the ROK in hosting the G20 Seoul Summit.

We have established a climate change partnership with India to increase dialogue and cooperation at international climate negotiations in a joint endeavor to safeguard the rights and interests of developing countries. We have identified new cooperation areas in circular economy and sustainable development with Japan, the ROK and Singapore.

Construction has started on the Sino-Singaporean Tianjin Eco-City. China is discussing with Japan and the ROK the possibility of building a China-Japan-ROK circular economy demonstration base. We have enhanced cooperation with ASEAN member states on agriculture and food production to ensure food security and boost rural development. We have also established mechanisms such as energy cooperation forum with some Asian countries to explore cooperation on energy security, higher energy efficiency and new energy development technology.

Global efforts are needed to resolve global issues. China will continue to step up coordination and cooperation with other Asian countries to jointly help resolve global issues for the benefit of mankind and safeguard and advance the common interests of Asian countries.

(China Daily 11/12/2010 page9)