Ｓｐｅｅｃｈ ｂｙ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ Ｖｉｃｅ Ｐｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ Ｘｉ Ｊｉｎｐｉｎｇ Ａｔ ｔｈｅ Ｏｐｅｎｉｎｇ Ｃｅｒｅｍｏｎｙ

TThe China International Friendship Cities Conference is now convening here in Beijing today. First of all， on behalf of the Chinese government， I’d like to extend warm congratulations on the convocation of the Conference and warm welcome to all the representatives to the Conference， especially the foreign friends coming from afar.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the launching of China’s international friendship-city activities. In 1973， Tianjin of China and Kobe of Japan were twinned as the first pair of friendship cities， opening an important channel for Chinese local governments to carry out external exchanges and cooperation. In 1978， China ushered in a new historical era of reform and opening up and its international friendship-city activities entered a stage of all-round and rapid development. Up to now， 1，497 pairs of friendship cities have been twinned between China and other 120 countries. The international friendship-city activities have become an important component part of bilateral relations between China and the relevant countries， giving impetus to the exchanges and cooperation between them and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between their peoples.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China’s adoption of the policy of reform and opening to the outside world. In the past 30 years China has achieved the historic transition from a highly centralized planned economy to a vibrant socialist market economy and from a closed or semi-closed society to one that is fully open to the outside world. The 1.3 billion Chinese people on the whole lead a relatively comfortable life. This year， with the support and assistance by the people of other countries in the world， China made major victory in its rescue and relief endeavours following the devastating Wenchuan earthquake and successfully held the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. China’s development in the past 30 years is attributed to reform and opening up， and likewise its future development will also depend on reform and opening up. China will unswervingly continue to take the path of reform and opening up which is full of life and vitality.

China’s international friendship-city activities are benefited from reform and opening up and at the same time play an active role in promoting the country’s reform and opening up. It is reform and opening up that has enabled China to better understand and march towards the world and the world to learn more about China. China’s deepened reform and opening up will surely further enhance the friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Chinese cities and cities of other countries.

Currently， all countries in the world are faced with excellent opportunities as well as unprecedented challenges. Global issues such as climate change， environmental degradation， the spread of infectious and contagious diseases， natural disasters， and energy and food security are becoming more and more conspicuous. In particular， the severe international financial crisis sweeping the whole globe has brought factors of instability and uncertainties to the world economic development. To cope with these challenges， all countries are closely cooperating. All cities in the world should follow the trend and further strengthen their friendly exchanges， and expand and deepen their cooperation in various fields. Here， I would like to suggest under the new circumstances， international friendship-city activities should adhere to the following three principles:

First is the principle of stressing friendship. Cities in different countries differ in size， history and culture. However， they should treat each other with sincerity on equal terms， fostering the spirit of mutual respect， tolerance and mutual understanding， and cultivate friendship and warm feelings among all peoples so as to play the role of bridges and links for realizing lasting world peace.

Second is the principle of stressing mutual benefit. In spite of different development levels， all cities in the world are endowed with some advantages. International friendship cities should learn from each other to make up for each other’s deficiencies and create favorable conditions for common development through mutually beneficial cooperation.

Third is the principle of stressing practical results. All cities in the world are shouldering the same or similar responsibilities in developing economy， providing public services and city management， maintaining social stability， protecting environment， etc. International friendship cities should reinforce cooperation and share experience in these fields to bring benefits to the local people.

The world today is an open one. China can not achieve development in isolation of the world， nor will the world sustain its development in the absence of China. The Chinese government adheres to combining domestic development with opening up to the outside world， linking China’s development with that of the world， and integrating the fundamental interests of the Chinese people with the common interests of the world people， and works hard and actively for world peace and development while striving to build China into a moderately prosperous society in all respects and accelerating the country’s socialist modernization drive. China will unswervingly pursue peaceful development， persist in a win-win open strategy of mutual benefit， and remain committed to the promotion of building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to and supports international friendship-city activities， and expects to work together with you all to continuously raise to a new level its friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation with all cities in the world.

In conclusion， I wish this conference full success.