Xi urges Asia-Pacific economies to stand up to new challenges

Outlines three-point plan for forging a sustainable and brighter future

GYEONGJU, SOUTH KOREA:

After a successful summit with US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping said has urged Asia Pacific economies to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation, make good use of new opportunities, stand up to new challenges, and forge a sustainable and brighter future together.

Xi said this in his speech, titled "Jointly Forging a Sustainable and Brighter Future", at the second session of the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, where he also met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and reiterated that Beijing stands ready to work with Seoul to ensure the steady and long-term development of their strategic cooperative partnership.

At present, the new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is deepening, opening new horizons for humanity, Xi noted. On the other hand, the world faces lackluster economic growth and a widening gap in global development, with challenges such as climate change, food security and energy security intensifying, he said.

Xi made a three-point proposal. Firstly, Xi urged Asia-Pacific economies to further unleash the potential of digital and smart development to give the Asia-Pacific region a fresh edge in innovation-driven development.

The economies should fully harness new technologies to empower and propel them forward, seize the opportunities of digital, smart and green development, and move faster to nurture and promote new quality productive forces, Xi said.

He called for efforts to promote safe and orderly flow of data, deepen cooperation on open-source technologies and build an open, competitive ecosystem for innovation.

The Asia Pacific economies should bear in mind the well-being of the entire humanity, and promote the sound and orderly development of AI while ensuring that it is beneficial, safe and fair, he said.

China has proposed the establishment of a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation to provide the international community with public goods on AI, he said, adding that China is ready to work with all APEC members to enhance AI literacy and bridge the digital and AI divide in the Asia Pacific region.

Secondly, Xi called on Asia Pacific economies to stay committed to green and low-carbon development to build a new paradigm for sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region.

Asia Pacific economies should keep in mind the responsibility to future generations, enhance synergy between green development strategies of all economies, promote free flows of quality green technologies and products, accelerate the green and low-carbon transition, and vigorously tackle climate change, Xi said.

Since announcing the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, China has established the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, Xi noted.

China has also submitted its 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions on climate response, and will implement the system of dual control over the volume and intensity of carbon emissions across the board, he said.

Thirdly, Xi called for building an inclusive and universally beneficial future to foster a new dynamism in the inclusive growth of the Asia Pacific.

He called on Asia-Pacific economies to always put the people first, and strengthen policy communication, experience sharing and results-oriented cooperation to fully implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, eliminate poverty together, and promote shared prosperity for all the people in the Asia Pacific.

Asia-Pacific economies should fully leverage APEC's traditional strength in economic and technical cooperation to facilitate balanced growth in developing economies, Xi said.

China will move faster to improve the system that provides full life-cycle population services to all the Chinese people, and push forward the high-quality development of the population, he said.

China will also promote the implementation of the initiatives that seek to deploy AI in health care and enhance digital literacy and skills for women, so that all the Asia Pacific can benefit from APEC cooperation, he added.