PRC President Jiang Zemin Proposes Closer Regional Cooperation

SHANGHAI, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (10 May 2002): People's Republic of China (PRC) President Jiang Zemin gave strong support to regional cooperation during his opening speech today at the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 35th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.

President Jiang made several proposals for strengthening regional cooperation in the region. These included:

• making a concerted effort to cultivate a political environment of mutual understanding and good neighborliness bearing in mind the overall interests of development in Asia;
• carrying out the principles of consultation on an equal footing, reciprocity and mutual benefit to give full expression to the equal rights and common interests of all parties;
• making use of existing cooperative mechanisms and exploring new ways of cooperation, focusing on subregional cooperation;
• pursuing "open regionalism" to provide other regions with fresh development opportunities while tapping the potential within the Asia and Pacific region.

President Jiang said "PRC appreciates the tremendous job the Asian Development Bank has done in facilitating regional efforts to remove poverty and the significant results it has achieved in promoting sub-regional economic cooperation in Asia".

He added it was "gratifying" that regional cooperation in Asia has been growing ever stronger in recent years. With the establishment of such cooperation mechanisms as the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation, East Asian Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and others, "an open, healthy and mutually beneficial cooperation pattern has taken shape," he said.