Ministry of Foreign Affairs Holds Briefing for Chinese and Foreign Media on President Xi Jinping's Attendance at 10th G20 Summit and 23rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
On 10 November 2015 local time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for Chinese and foreign media. Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong, Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen and Director-General of the International Department of the People's Bank of China Zhu Juan briefed on the relevant information of President Xi Jinping's upcoming attendance at the tenth G20 Summit and 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, and answered questions from the Chinese and foreign journalists.
I. On the attendance at the tenth G20 Summit
Li Baodong said that the tenth G20 Summit will be held in Antalya of Turkey from November 15 to 16. President Xi Jinping's attendance at the summit fully reflects the great importance China attaches to G20 cooperation and China's positive and constructive attitude of working with other countries to jointly promote world economic growth, strengthen global economic governance and advance economic reform and transformation. During the summit, President Xi Jinping will attend all the official activities of the summit, expound systematically and thoroughly opinions and propositions on the situation of world economy, and advocate cooperation of all sides to meet challenges and joint exploitation of new impetus for growth. He will relate to the suggestion on China's Thirteenth Five-Year Plan, and introduce China's policies and measures of comprehensively deepening reforms and establishing a new system of open economy. He will also notify leaders of other countries of China's overall vision of hosting G20 Summit in 2016 and communicate and coordinate with all members to jointly promote next year's Summit for a success. Before the Summit, the BRICS leaders will hold an informal meeting by convention, during which President Xi Jinping will deliver an important speech calling the BRICS countries to strengthen communication and cooperation, seize opportunities and defuse challenges to achieve common development. On the sidelines of the Summit, President Xi Jinping will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of relevant countries to exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.
Li Baodong pointed out that the Antalya Summit chooses the theme of "Collective Action for Inclusive and Robust Growth", focuses on three major elements of "inclusiveness, implementation and investment" and will witness concrete discussions on issues such as world economic situation, inclusive growth, reform of international financial and monetary system, trade, energy, development and anti-corruption. After the Summit, a leaders' communiqué will be released. China actively supports Turkey to host a successful Summit and will work with other member countries to make the Summit realize goals in four aspects. First, show that the G20 members regard promoting growth and employment as their core missions and are confident and capable of leading world economy to a new round of growth. Second, drive the G20 to transfer from the mechanism of crisis response to long-term governance, from periodical policies to structural policies. Third, stay committed to constructing and maintaining open world economy. Fourth, adopt responsible macroeconomic policies, strive to bring about positive spillover effect to other countries and thus achieve inclusive development.
Zhu Guangyao said that the Antalya Summit shoulders the important and arduous missions of boosting global confidence and ensuring that world economy develops on the strong, sustainable and balanced growth path determined by the G20. The G20 members should endeavor to ensure the Antalya Summit a success. China has made positive contributions to the G20 in achieving practical results in aspects such as formulating action plans to promote growth and employment, reform of financial regulation and international tax cooperation. China actively supports the three major elements of "inclusiveness, implementation and investment" proposed by Turkey as the presidency, and has made important contributions to world economy through its own growth. China's economy enjoys sound fundamentals, strong toughness and great room for maneuver. Confronted with the complex external environment and arduous task of economic restructuring, China's economy grew by 6.9 percent in the first three quarters of 2015 with a contribution rate of 30 percent to world economic growth. While projecting a lower rate of global economic growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development respectively maintained and increased forecast on China's economic growth to 6.8 percent. China's Thirteenth Five-Year Plan has given a clear answer to questions to which the world pays high attention, such as China's development philosophy, future development speed and a new round of high-level opening up. China has made its maximum efforts and contributions to ensuring the Antalya Summit a success in aspects such as development philosophy, development rate and high-level opening up.
Wang Shouwen pointed out that currently, world economy is undergoing profound adjustment, and the increase rate of global trade is going through an obvious slowdown. As a major platform for global economic cooperation, the G20 has broadly representative members and a trade volume of nearly 80 percent of that of the world. It has the obligation and capability to propose plans and make contributions to promoting global trade growth and economic development. The fair, transparent and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system has provided a stable institutional environment for economic recovery and growth of all countries, and conforms to the common interests of the G20 members. And the G20 members should bear the major responsibility of safeguarding multilateral trading system. It is now a vital period for the G20 to transfer from the mechanism of crisis response to long-term economic governance. All parties should actively study and promote the G20 to strengthen mechanisms of trade and investment cooperation, institutionalize the Trade Ministerial Meeting and forge the G20 into an effective platform for exchanges of trade and investment policies and global open cooperation. China is willing to conduct in-depth discussions with all sides on economic and trade issues related to the Summit, make efforts to seek the greatest consensus and jointly promote the Antalya Summit for positive and practical results.
Zhu Jun briefed on China's related policies and proposals on topics of the G20 such as comprehensive growth strategy, reform of the financial sector, IMF reform and infrastructure investment.
II. On the attendance at the 23rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
Li Baodong said that the 23rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Manila of the Philippines from November 18 to 19. During the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, President Xi Jinping will attend and address the APEC CEO Summit, and attend the APEC Business Advisory Council Dialogue, the leaders' welcome banquet, the Economic Leaders' Meeting of two stages and the luncheon. In his speech, President Xi Jinping will systematically expound China's policies, ideas and proposals on Asia-Pacific cooperation, and introduce the implementation of the outcomes of the APEC Beijing meeting. He will relate to the suggestion on the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan and elaborate on China's policies and measures of comprehensively deepening reforms and promoting economic transformation and upgrading to show the bright future of China's economy. He will introduce the new progress in building the "Belt and Road" and new opportunities the initiative brings to Asia-Pacific and the world at large. He will express China's views on the economic development of Asia-Pacific and the world and stress to establish the Asia-Pacific partnership to jointly outline the future development of Asia-Pacific with other members. On the sidelines of the meeting, President Xi Jinping will also hold several bilateral meetings with leaders of relevant members and discuss the prospects of APEC cooperation and bilateral practical cooperation.
Li Baodong pointed out that the theme of this year's APEC meeting is "Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World". Specific topics include regional economic integration, small- and medium-sized enterprises, human resource development, sustainable growth and others. A leaders' declaration will be released at the meeting. The APEC is a forum on economic and trade cooperation with the highest level, broadest scope and most influence in Asia-Pacific. Since its establishment, the APEC has stuck to promoting trade liberalization and facilitation as well as economic and technical cooperation, and played a critical role in aspects such as promoting regional economic integration, enhancing its members' economic cooperation, promoting connectivity cooperation and seeking new growth points in economy. China is a constructor and contributor of the APEC, and attaches great importance to the APEC's significant role in promoting regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. Last year, China successfully held the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and made a series of important achievements. China looks forward to positive and practical outcomes of this year's APEC meeting. First, promote development of regional economic integration, cognize the reality of diversity in the Asia-Pacific, recognize the progress of joint strategic study on the Asia-Pacific free trade area, and reach consensus on establishing the Asia-Pacific free trade area at an early date. Second, continuously play the leading role of the Asia-Pacific in global economy, expand areas of practical cooperation, promote connectivity and infrastructure construction, and take the cooperation opportunities of Internet economy, urbanization construction and small- and medium-sized enterprises to seek new growth points in economy and enhance inclusive growth. Third, increase consensus on the Asia-Pacific partnership, strengthen policy coordination and interest integration, develop an open economy in the Asia-Pacific and boost the Doha Round negotiations of the World Trade Organization.
Wang Shouwen said that the Asia-Pacific free trade area has become a new goal of APEC regional integration. China looks forward to joining efforts with all parties to complete the joint strategic study on the Asia-Pacific free trade area as scheduled by the end of 2016 and offer leaders feasible paths, policies and recommendations on achieving the Asia-Pacific free trade area, so as to create positive and favorable conditions for building a comprehensive, high-quality, balanced and inclusive Asia-Pacific free trade area and benefit all economies and especially the developing economies universally. Under the guidance of the "APEC Strategic Blueprint for Global Value Chains", this year all economies have put forward over ten cooperation initiatives and enjoyed fruitful cooperative outcomes, injecting strong impetus into the development of global value chains. China boosts the implementation of connectivity cooperation in global value chains and supply chains to help more economies and peoples benefit from cooperation with practical actions.
Wang Shouwen said that the APEC leaders will release a separate statement on supporting multilateral trading system to show the APEC's firm determination to support the multilateral trading system. China welcomes the relevant initiatives put forward by the US and other economies in the field of economy and trade. China will continue to hold an open, inclusive, practical and responsible attitude and work with other parties to promote the Leaders' Meeting for a complete success and inject new impetus to promote regional economic growth and maintain development vitality.