Xi urges greater cooperation in Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not relapse into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, as he urged greater regional cooperation on pandemic recovery and the climate crisis.

"We should be forward looking, move ahead and reject practices of discrimination and exclusion of others. Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles on geopolitical grounds are bound to fail," Xi said in a prerecorded keynote speech to the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit.

The summit, hosted online by New Zealand, brought together the world's most influential business leaders as well as leaders of APEC economies. Xi is also scheduled to participate in the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting with other Pacific Rim leaders, including US President Joe Biden, on Friday.

In his speech, Xi stressed the need for the region to advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and functioning, and promote the orderly flow of resources and input to boost economic recovery and achieve interconnected development.

"We should all be broad-minded, follow the underlying trend of the times and proactively expand opening-up," he said.

The president made a four-point proposal for the region to work toward the goal of building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.

He expounded on the need to make all-out efforts to fight COVID-19, saying that to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic and attain steady recovery remains the most pressing task for the region. "We should support each other in fighting COVID-19 and step up cooperation in areas such as testing methods, treatment medicine and the research, development, production and mutual recognition of vaccines to truly create synergy against COVID-19," he said.

He also urged steps to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines and boost their accessibility and affordability in developing countries in order to close the immunization gap.

The Asia-Pacific region should pursue a green post-pandemic recovery and take the lead in making a science-based response to climate change, he said, adding that China will make its due contribution to boost ecological conservation in the region and beyond.

Xi reiterated China's commitment to advance a green transition on all fronts and fully carry out its national strategy on climate change response. "China will strike a balance between a low-carbon transition and ensuring the living needs of its people, and between development and carbon reduction, and will achieve a carbon peak and carbon neutrality within the time frame we set," he said.

He underscored that China's carbon reduction action is a profound economic and social transformation, and the nation will work tirelessly to make its contribution to promoting global green transition, "no matter how formidable the task may be".

The president also repeated an appeal to developed economies to provide developing countries with funding and technological support and help them enhance their capacity to conduct environment governance.

China's carbon reduction actions will require massive investment, thus creating huge market opportunities and room for cooperation, he said, adding that business communities across the Asia-Pacific region are welcome to join the nation's endeavor.

The president also reiterated China's commitments in advancing reform and opening-up, adding that the nation will build a high-standard market system and work to make new progress in reforming important areas and key links.

He explained the recent antitrust moves from Chinese government departments and measures to strengthen oversight of some sectors, saying that the moves are "called for to promote the sound development of the market economy in China".

China will continue to treat all types of market entities on an equal basis and foster a unified, open, competitive and orderly market system, he said.