On the morning of November 18, the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Informal Leaders’ Meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand. President Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech. From the afternoon to the evening of that day, President Xi met with leaders of many countries one after another.
What signals did Chairman Xi’s speech send out? What kind of Chinese proposal did he propose for jointly building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future? What are your expectations for country-to-country exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region? “Current Affairs News Eye” interprets it for you with five key words.
01
Important Suggestion: Continuing to Write the “Asia-Pacific Miracle”
This is a rare meeting. The APEC meeting that opened that morning was the first offline gathering of APEC leaders in four years.
At the meeting, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech titled “Unity, Cooperation and Courage to Take Responsibility to Build an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future”.
The day before, in his written speech at the APEC Business Leaders Summit, President Xi mentioned the “Asia-Pacific Miracle” twice.
Now, the world is once again standing at a historical crossroads, and the Asia-Pacific is playing a more important role and playing a more prominent role. How to continue writing the “Asia-Pacific Miracle”?
At this APEC meeting, President Xi put forward four important suggestions: to maintain international fairness and justice and build a peaceful and stable Asia-Pacific; Together, we will build an Asia-Pacific that supports each other.
In this speech, there are several information points that deserve to be focused on.
President Xi proposed that next year, China will consider holding the third “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum to inject new impetus into the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and the world.
In 2017 and 2019, the “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum was held in China twice, becoming an important multilateral cooperation platform. In recent years, the international community has always supported the normalization of this summit forum.
President Xi also pointed out that we must view Asia-Pacific cooperation from a strategic and long-term perspective, maintain APEC’s position as the main channel in regional cooperation, and maintain the correct direction of Asia-Pacific cooperation.
In recent years, acts of distorting international norms, disrupting economic ties, condoning regional conflicts, and hindering development cooperation have occurred frequently, posing serious challenges to peace and development in the Asia-Pacific. Only by maintaining APEC’s “main channel status” in regional cooperation can we ensure that we do not deviate.
02
Model: “to a higher level”
On the same day, President Xi Jinping met with four foreign leaders attending the APEC meeting in Bangkok. During the meeting, Chairman Xi mentioned the word “model” many times.
When meeting with Sultan Hassanal of Brunei, President Xi pointed out that China and Brunei are close neighbors across the sea, friends who trust each other, and partners for common development.
In November 2018, President Xi visited Brunei for the first time. During the talks with Hassanal, the two sides unanimously decided to establish a Chinese strategic partnership.
During this meeting, President Xi said that next year will usher in the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese-Chinese strategic partnership. The two sides should work together to promote greater development of the Chinese-language strategic cooperative partnership and better benefit the two peoples.
Hassanal expressed that he is willing to work with China to push Brunei-China relations to a higher level.
On the afternoon of November 18, President Xi also met with Chilean President Boric in Bangkok.
Born in 1986, Boric was sworn in as president in March this year and is the youngest president in Chilean history. This is also the first meeting between him and President Xi.
During the meeting that day, President Xi pointed out that Chile is the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with China. For more than half a century, China-Chile relations, as the forerunner of China’s relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries, have become a model of win-win cooperation among developing countries.
Borich said that President Xi led China to achieve great development achievements, lifting nearly 100 million people out of poverty and setting an example for developing countries.
From poverty alleviation to cooperation, China and Chile have set “models” for each other.
03
“The Spirit of Rewi Alley”: A Timeless Inheritance
On the 22nd of next month, China and New Zealand will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
On the afternoon of November 18, when meeting with Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand, President Xi Jinping pointed out that over the past 50 years, China-New Zealand relations have maintained healthy and stable development, and China regards New Zealand as an important partner and friend.
Ardern said that the two sides should take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and China this year as an opportunity to conscientiously sum up experience, strengthen high-level exchanges, and deepen bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, education, and addressing climate change.
On the same day, Chairman Xi specifically mentioned that the “Rewi Alley Spirit” should be well inherited and developed.
In 1942, Rewi Alley, a famous New Zealand social activist, founded Shandan Bailey Vocational School in Gansu, China. He put forward the school-running purpose of “use both hands and brain, create analysis”, and cultivate a large number of practical technical talents. When he visited Gansu in 2019, President Xi made a special trip to this school and visited the former residence of Rewi Alley.
Why does Chairman Xi attach so much importance to the “Rewi Alley Spirit” that originated more than half a century ago? Learn from the past and know the future. This spirit is an important driving force for China and New Zealand to strengthen exchanges and enhance the understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
During the meeting that day, President Xi pointed out that the starting point of China’s policy toward Pacific island countries has always been to seek peace, seek development and promote cooperation. China is willing to work closely with New Zealand to jointly promote peace, stability, development and prosperity in the Pacific island countries.
Ardern said that New Zealand is committed to strengthening communication and understanding with China, and is willing to have in-depth exchanges on South Pacific affairs.
04
Juncao: “A small plant of grass can connect thousands of miles”
On the afternoon of November 18, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Marape of Papua New Guinea in Bangkok.
During the meeting, President Xi pointed out that China and Papua New Guinea are good friends, good partners, and good brothers, and they are a model of solidarity, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results for developing countries.
In November 2018, President Xi attended the 26th APEC Informal Leaders’ Meeting held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and paid a state visit to Papua New Guinea. In February this year, Marape came to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Papua New Guinea is the first country in the world to accept China’s Juncao foreign aid project.
In 2000, Xi Jinping, then governor of Fujian Province, personally introduced the demonstration project of Juncao and upland rice planting technology to Papua New Guinea East Highlands Province, and the beneficiary local people in Papua New Guinea called Juncao “Chinese grass”.
Last year, at the third “Belt and Road” construction symposium, Chairman Xi also recalled the past about “Chinese grass”. Today, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 100 countries, creating hundreds of thousands of local job opportunities.
During this meeting in Bangkok, President Xi once again emphasized the need to make good use of the six major cooperation platforms between China and the Pacific island countries in response to climate change, poverty reduction, agriculture, disaster prevention, Juncao technology, and emergency supplies, and implement the power grid, Juncao and Upland rice technical assistance and other projects.
Marape said that China has provided selfless assistance such as Juncao technology for the economic development of Papua New Guinea. He said that no force can stop the further development of relations between Papua New Guinea and China.
05
Special friendship: “China and Thailand are one family”
On the evening of November 18, President Xi Jinping met with King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
This meeting is the first face-to-face meeting between President Xi and King Vajiralongkorn.
The 70-year-old Vajiralongkorn became the king of Thailand in 2016 and held a coronation ceremony in 2019. President Xi sent a congratulatory message at that time.
During the meeting, Maha Vajiralongkorn told Chairman Xi that I have visited China many times and personally experienced China’s great rivers and mountains, vitality, charm, development and progress. “President Xi Jinping has made outstanding achievements in governing the country, especially in eradicating poverty and improving people’s livelihood. I admire this very much.”
China and Thailand have a history of thousands of years of friendly exchanges, and the “China-Thailand family” is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-Thailand comprehensive strategic partnership.
During the meeting, President Xi said that China is willing to continue to carry forward the special friendship of “China and Thailand as one family” together with Thailand, build a community with a shared future between China and Thailand, and write a new chapter in bilateral relations. Maha Vajiralongkorn said that Thailand is willing to further tighten the bond of friendship and cooperation with China.
From the important proposal to continue writing the “Asia-Pacific Miracle”, to the “model”, “Rewi Alley Spirit”, “Juncao”, and then to the special friendship of “China and Thailand as one family”, what President Xi Jinping talked about on the first day of the APEC meeting These keywords are sentimental, reasonable and warm, and see spirit when seeing people and things.
Producer丨Shen Yong
Chief Writer丨Gong Xuehui Yu Zhenyi
Reporter丨Ma Chao, Guo Hong, Fan Yiming, Liu Huimin, Yang Bo, Fan Kai
Vision丨Chen Kuo Zhang Jing
Edit丨Wang Zun
[Responsible editor: Xu Kun]