Spotlight: World to benefit from China's development, China-Europe cooperation: official

China's development and China-Europe cooperation have become sources of positive energy for the world, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi has said.

In a speech delivered Thursday at the French Institute of International Relations, Yang talked about the Chinese economy, its diplomacy and China-Europe relations.

Yang was co-chairing this year's China-France strategic dialogue with Jacques Audibert, diplomatic advisor to the French president. He also met French President Francois Hollande and Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Wednesday.

CHINESE ECONOMY

The Chinese economy, as an anchor and a source of growth for the world economy, will continue to inject positive energy to the global economic growth, Yang said.

China has made enormous contributions to the world economy, said Yang.

China's gross domestic product grew by 6.9 percent last year, much lower than previous years. But the growth still places the Chinese economy at the forefront of major economies and represents the biggest increment in the world, equivalent to the GDP of a middle-income country, Yang said.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China will be contributing 30 percent to global economic growth up to 2020, he said, adding that China also is a major contributor to global consumption and investment.

"In the next five years, China will import goods worth over 10 trillion U.S. dollars and make outbound investment of over 600 billion dollars," Yang said.

The world will also benefit from the good progress in China's deepening reform, Yang said.

"China is steadily advancing its own structural reform in a bid to lead by example in the broader structural reform of the world economy," he said.

Such reform has proved effective as consumption has overtaken investment as the key driver of the Chinese economy while the share of the services sector in the GDP has exceeded 50 percent, he said.

He pledged that China will further open up.

"When it comes to opening-up, China will not shut its door again or backtrack," Yang said.

He said China is striving for new progress in its all-round opening-up endeavor and will widen market access and work on institutional improvement.

"While a growing China has benefited from the world, it will ensure that its own development benefits the world as well. Benefits of development and opportunities for cooperation are what China has to offer to the world," he said.

CHINESE DIPLOMACY

On China's diplomacy, Yang said that the country has developed friendly ties with other countries and become more active in providing better and more public goods to the world for the past few years.

"As a matter of fact, China's strategic intention cannot be more clear-cut," he said. "What we seek are the fulfillment of the two centenary goals and the realization of the Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation."

The two centenary goals are to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and double China's GDP and per capita income by the time the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021 on the basis of 2010; and to build China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.

"At the same time, we will promote peace and development of the world and work with other countries for a community of shared future for all mankind," Yang said. "China's development will only mean a greater force for peace and more positive energy for the world."

He stressed that China are committed to a path of peaceful development, to win-win cooperation, to building various partnerships with all countries, and to resolving differences through peaceful means.

CHINA-EUROPE RELATIONS

Yang also said that China-Europe relations are always one of China's diplomatic priorities.

"We firmly support European integration and support a united, stable and prosperous EU in playing a still bigger role in international affairs," he said.

"Today, China-EU relations are blessed with a historic opportunity for more rapid growth," said Yang, pointing out that China and Europe need to cement the basis for political mutual trust, enhance practical cooperation, strengthen cooperation on global governance, and deepen multi-dimensional people-to-people exchanges.

Yang called on the two sides to speed up negotiations on the China-EU investment agreement and launch at an early date a joint feasibility study on a China-Europe Free Trade Agreement.

"We need to explore synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative and its international production capacity cooperation programs and Europe's development strategies," he said.

Yang suggested that the two parties set up a joint investment fund, bring into early operation such cooperation projects as high-speed railway and nuclear energy, and deepen financial cooperation.

He also called on China and Europe to deepen cooperation in upholding world peace, improving economic governance and sustainable development, fighting climate change and terrorism, safeguarding cybersecurity and tackling corruption. Endi