Cooperative Development To Build South Asia Lasting Peace

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Cooperative Development To Build South Asia Lasting Peace

By Li Yuanchao

CCCPC Political Bureau Member and Vice President of China

Honorable Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury,

Honorable Speaker Abdul Rouf Ibrahimi,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, the Commemoration of the International Day of Peace 2013 and China-South Asia Peace and Development Forum is held in the beautiful province of Yunnan. On behalf of the Chinese government, I wish to extend warmest welcome to all our guests.

This forum, as a platform for dialogues and discussions on cooperation and development of China and South Asian countries, and on our concerted efforts for peace, is a response to the calls of our times, and to the aspiration of our people.

Lying between the Himalayan Mountains and the Indian Ocean, South Asia is a vast region covering nearly 5 million square kilometers with a total population of over 1.6 billion. The people here, who have suffered for a long time from wars and chaos, share a common desire for lasting peace.

The destinies of the South Asian people are bound together by similar histories. As the cradle of one of the four great ancient civilizations, South Asia used to be the most prosperous part of the world. Since modern times, however, invasions by Western colonizers have brought enormous sufferings to the region. The people of South Asia fought tenaciously for independence and liberalization, and finally embarked on a path of development of their own. In this process, the people of the region have forged a community of shared destiny.

War is the biggest stumbling block to development in South Asia. In the colonial period, the colonizers, with their “divide and rule” strategy, sowed the seeds of conflicts in the region. Over the decades, countries in South Asia have lost many development opportunities to territorial disputes, sectarian strife, and ethnical conflicts. Three decades of war in Afghanistan have made over 11 million people refugees, and the civil war of Sri Lanka displaced more than 700,000 people. From the 1960s to the 1980s, South Asia’s economy grew by only about 4% annually, while the “Four Asian Tigers” were rocketing at 10%. At present, there are still 600 million South Asian people living in poverty. According to a development report by the World Bank, political and security situation is a major factor impeding economic growth in South Asia. History tells us, to pursue economic growth and better livelihood, we must first and foremost secure peace and stability.

Lasting peace is a shared aspiration of the South Asian people. The people of the region have made unremitting efforts for peace. India and Afghanistan were among those who initiated the first summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 to oppose colonialism and imperialism. In recent years, with eased tension between India and Pakistan, and positive developments in the rebuilding of Afghanistan, reconciliation among South Asian countries has been gaining momentum. A relatively more stable regional environment has enabled economic and social development in South Asia. India has seen its modern service sector booming, with highlights on software and financial industries; and Sri Lanka has experienced 4 years of rapid GDP growth averaging 6.5% annually since the end of its civil war. On the whole, South Asia has been growing by over 6% each year since 2008. Having benefited from the fruits of peace, the people of South Asia are hoping for the tree of peace to take deeper roots and thrive in their homeland.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Having been victimized by colonial invasion for a long time in history, the Chinese people have keen empathy for the sufferings of their neighbors in South Asia. Both China and South Asia are now facing important development opportunities. Together, with more than one third of the world’s total population, we should stand united and work jointly for development and lasting peace in the region.

First, we should champion the cause of peace, and pool our strength in the pursuit. Both China and South Asia have a tradition of love for peace. The Indian epictells about how the ancient Indians ceased unjust wars for the sake of peace. And in China, proverbs such as “peace is most precious” and “beat swords into ploughshares” reflect the philosophy of peace cherished by the Chinese nation. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, jointly initiated by China, India and Myanmar, have now become the basic norms of international relations. Lasting peace in the region is in the best interests of both the South Asian and the Chinese people. China cannot be more willing to see prosperity and stability in South Asia. The 18thNational Congress of the Communist Party of China reiterated peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit as the guiding principles in our foreign relations, and identified good neighborliness as the top priority in China’s foreign policy. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the relationship with South Asia. China stands ready to collaborate with South Asian countries to pool our strength and promote development through preserving and building peace.

Second, we should take matters in our own hands and oppose foreign intervention. As the saying goes in Nepal, “our own hands are the rulers of the nature.” Bearing a memory of the colonial times when they had no control of their own destiny, the peoples of South Asia have developed their independent foreign policies through their fight against colonial rule and foreign intervention. In 1985, the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was officially founded. So far, 17 SAARC summits have been convened among the member states to empower themselves though unity and solidarity. Firmly believing in the traditional philosophy of “never imposing on others what you would not choose for yourself,” China has long adhered to the independent foreign policy of peace. China is willing to stand together with South Asian countries to follow the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, in handling state-to-state relations, respect the right of all countries to independently choose their social systems and development paths, and oppose foreign intervention and bullying by the big and strong countries against the small and weak.

Third, we should enhance dialogues and consultations to peacefully resolve disputes. Tagore, the great Indian poet, once said: “Brute force shows but the weakness of mankind.” It is dialogues and consultations that are the correct way to resolve conflicts and disputes. In recent years, South Asian countries have endeavored to seek peaceful resolutions of their disputes through consultations. India and Pakistan, for example, are continuing with peace talks; Bangladesh and India have settled their land border; and countries in the region are making efforts to negotiate for a joint water resource management policy. China has been committed to handling territorial and maritime disputes with neighboring countries through dialogues and consultations, and so far we have successfully resolved land boarder issues left over by history with 12 neighbors. China wishes to work with South Asian countries to settle disputes and conflicts through peaceful negotiations with reconciliation and oppose the use or threat of force.

Fourth, we should expand mutually beneficial cooperation to achieve win-win development. It has become a general trend for countries to promote development through cooperation, and to promote peace through development. In recent years, SAARC members have signed a free trade agreement and an agreement on trade in services, and they are now endeavoring for more connectivity in the region which facilitates regional economic integration. China highly values our mutually beneficial cooperation with SAARC, and in 2006 became an observer of the Association. In 2012, China’s trade volume with SAARC reached US$ 93 billion, and the accumulated contract value exceeded US$ 100 billion. China is willing to work together with South Asian countries in the spirit of equality and win-win cooperation, to fully leverage our advantages of geographical closeness and economic complementarities, accelerate the improvement of connectivity, expand concrete cooperation in various fields, build an ever closer community of common interests, and lay a solid material foundation for lasting peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation articulated by President Xi Jinping is a dream of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, which is consistent with the dream of the South Asian peoples. China is willing to peacefully coexist with our neighbors, including South Asian countries, on an equal footing, so that we are always good neighbors, good friends, and good partners.

The Chinese province geographically closest with countries to China's southwest, Yunnan has a population of 46 million people, and its GDP has reached a trillion Yuan. The province's relationship with South Asian countries dates back to the ancient times. The Chinese government fully supports Yunnan to be a bridge and link in China's further opening up to the southwest, and in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and common development with South Asian countries.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace – Education for Peace, designated by the United Nations, is highly relevant. The girl who won the Pakistan National Peace Award, Malala Yousafzai said, “If this new generation is not given pens, they will be given guns by terrorists.” The international community should make concerted efforts to educate our people, especially the younger generation, to cherish, safeguard, and promote peace, so that every corner of the world would be filled with the sunshine of peace.