Tashkent, 29 November 2013
Prime Minister Shavkat Mirzieev,
Dear Colleagues,
I am glad to be here in Tashkent to attend the 12th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States. I wish to thank the government of Uzbekistan for its gracious hospitality.
Since its inception 12 years ago, guided by the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and seeking common development, the SCO has made major achievements in many areas.
The world today is going through profound and complex political and economic changes. Facing such changes, we should both carry forward traditions and abide by principles, and broaden avenue of cooperation to meet challenges together. We should fully implement the agreement reached at the Bishkek Summit last September, work hard to foster a secure, convenient, mutually beneficial and green development environment, and speed up the development in our region to benefit our peoples. In this connection, I propose taking the following steps:
First, deepen security cooperation. No country or region can achieve development without security. Combatting terrorism serves the interests of all countries and it is our shared responsibility. All SCO member states should make counter-terrorism and drug control a priority in the current security cooperation and add drug control to the mandate of the SCO's Regional Counter-terrorism Structure. Drugs cause both short and long term harms. We need to enhance our capability to ensure comprehensive security and provide a better security environment.
Second, accelerate road connectivity. All SCO member states are on the "Silk Road economic belt", and connectivity is the basis for deepening our pragmatic cooperation. As general consensus was reached on the agreement among the governments of SCO member states on international road transportation facilitation, technical issues should be speedily addressed so that the agreement can be signed at an early date. I hope that the SCO member states will take an active part in the building of the new Eurasian Continental Bridge and the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe international railway, which will open a main route between the east and the west and promote smooth flow of goods. China is ready to support the projects in terms of technology, equipment and financing.
Third, promote trade and investment facilitation. The SCO member states should simplify customs, inspection and quarantine procedures, cut tariffs, and remove trade barriers to facilitate free trade within the SCO framework. Trade integration is accelarating in both the world and many regions. We SCO members need to catch up with this trend. China is ready to provide logistical and storage services to other member states in Lian Yungang, the east end of the new Eurasian Continental Bridge. China will also work more closely with other member states in the production and processing of agricultural and livestock products, and import more beef, lamb and other competitive products from other SCO member states.
Fourth, enhance financial cooperation. To meet financing needs of member states in connectivity building and industrial cooperation and support major projects, we should enable the SCO Inter-Bank Consortium to play a bigger role. Greater efforts should be made to set up an SCO development bank and realize local currency settlement among member states at an early date. China is prepared to set up a China-Eurasia economic cooperation fund that is open to Eurasian countries including SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners of the SCO. We welcome your participation in this fund.
Fifth, advance ecological and energy cooperation. We should adopt a common strategy for SCO environmental protection cooperation and use the China-SCO Environmental Cooperation Center to develop an information-sharing platform. We should improve the mechanism for energy cooperation and carry out study on and promote the setting up of an SCO energy club. We should, on the basis of fully accommodating the interests of all parties, deepen cooperation on energy production, transportation and processing. Cooperation on new energy such as nuclear power should proceed in parallel, and China is ready to provide assistance in terms of technology, equipment and capital in this area.
Sixth, expand people-to-people exchange. We should, on the basis of respecting cultural diversity, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchange to lift state-to-state relations to a higher level and boost popular support for these relations. China will increase the number of government scholarships to students from other SCO member states and will host summer camps for 2,000 primary and middle school students from these countries in the next five years. SCO member states all have rich tourism resources, and we should strengthen cooperation in this field. China has decided to set up an SCO center in Beijing to conduct SCO-related events.
Dear Colleages,
I would now like to say a few words about progress in China's development and reform endeavors. This year, in the face of greater downward pressure on China's economy and severe challenges, we have stayed focused and maintained stability in our policies. Instead of loosening monetary supply or expanding deficit, we have made great efforts to innovate macro-management and streamline administration and delegate power, so as to unleash market vitality and encourage non-governmental investment. China's economy has registered stable and sound growth since the third quarter this year. We are on track to meet the main goals for China's economic and social development, namely, 7.5% of GDP growth and no higher than 3.5% of CPI increase. All this will provide us with new experience and lay a sound foundation for ensuring sustained, long-term and healthy growth of the Chinese economy.
An important decision to comprehensively deepen the reform was made at the Third Plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee held recently. China will further reform the economic structure, let the market play a decisive role in resource allocation and the government better fulfill its responsibilities. We will further promote opening-up, especially westward opening-up. By running its affairs well, China will make an important contribution to the world, and the measures we have adopted are responsible ones to both China and the world. We SCO member states should share new opportunities created by our development and work together to create an ever brighter future for the SCO!
Thank you!