Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called on Asian countries to find new drives to re-energize the region in face of new development and new challenges.
Asian countries need to build a community of shared interests, common destiny and shared responsibilities, Li said when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2014 held in Boao, a coastal town in south China's Hainan province.
Uncertainties and destabilizing factors in the world are increasing, and the spillovers of the international financial crisis are still affecting Asia, he said.
Meanwhile, some Asian countries have been crippled by economic slowdown, rising inflation, capital withdrawal and currency depreciation. Pessimistic views about the prospects of emerging economies have resurfaced, Li said.
To sustain its development momentum under the new conditions, Asia needs to find a fresh source of development drivers, the premier said.
"Economic integration is central to achieving common development in Asia," he said.
Asian countries need to work together to further liberalizing trade and facilitating investment, as well as upgrading regional and sub-regional cooperation, he added.
The premier also highlighted the importance of a peaceful and stable regional environment to Asia's progress and development.
He urged Asian countries to build consensus, make active efforts and jointly fulfill the due responsibilities.
Li underscored again China's commitment to peaceful development and its resolution to defend its territorial sovereignty.
"We will give full support to initiatives that help strengthen maritime cooperation," Li said, "on the other hand, we will respond firmly to provocations that undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea."
An international non-governmental and non-profit organization founded in 2001, the BFA works to promote regional economic integration and bring Asian countries closer to their development goals. The theme for this year's conference is "Asia's New Future: Identifying New Growth Drivers".
Li lays out policy on South China Sea
Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday that China will give full support to initiatives that strengthen maritime cooperation while also responding firmly to provocations that undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea.
"We Chinese believe in repaying kindness with kindness and meeting wrongdoing with justice," Li said at the opening ceremony of the 2014 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia held in south China's Hainan Province.
According to Li, China is ready to steadily advance consultation on a code of conduct in the South China Sea within the framework of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and work with other nations to ensure stability and freedom of navigation in the region.
The premier also called for Asian countries to actively explore the establishment of a regional security cooperation framework in Asia.
China to establish Shanghai-HK stock exchanges connectivity mechanism
China will actively create conditions to establish a Shanghai-Hong Kong stock exchanges connectivity mechanism, Premier Li Keqiang said today.
The move aims to promote two-way opening-up and healthy development of the capital market on the mainland and Hong Kong, the premier said at the opening ceremony of the 2014 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held in south China's Hainan Province.
"We will carry out a new round of opening-up at a high level," Li said, adding that an important part of this endeavor is to further open up the service sector, including the capital market.
Li said the country will introduce a system of listing government powers, consider the adoption of a management model based on a negative list approach, accumulate useful experience through the development of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone and spread it to other areas.
"This will enable us to expand market access, foster a better business environment to unleash greater dividends of reform, spark social creativity and stabilize market expectations," Li said.
The four-day conference features the theme of "Asia's New Future: Identifying New Growth Drivers" this year.
Chinese economy sees stable, good start: premier
China's economy is off to a good and stable start this year, said Premier Li Keqiang at the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia on Thursday. >> More
