President Hu Jintao's participation at the G8 summit and his subsequent state visit to Sweden were successful and led to productive dialogue, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said yesterday.

 

Briefing Chinese media, Yang said these major diplomatic events enabled Hu to clarify China's standpoint on many issues such as climate change. To this end, he exchanged views with relevant world leaders on establishing a series of concrete measures. 

 

At the meeting of the "outreach five" (China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa) at the G8 summit, Hu outlined a strategy of cooperation between southern nations to help better dialogue and unity among developing countries, said Yang.

 

Developing countries should take on strategies and policies that will boost economic development whilst paying attention to individual national circumstances. For its part, the industrialized world should ramp up debt cancellation, market opening and technology transfers to help the rise of poorer nations.

 

The North-South divide needs to urgently be reduced and the goal of sustainable development should be balanced on three principles: economic growth, social progress and environmental protection.

 

Hu's consistent outlining of China's position on climate change has enabled the international community to better comprehend the country's strategy toward sustainable development. Namely, although climate change is an environmental issue at heart, it also relates to sustainable development in that it may severely impair a nation's development.

 

Urging all countries to adhere to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" in accordance with the UN convention on climate change, he said China has strengthened its law-making and enforcement efforts to tackle climate change.

 

During the outreach session, Hu had in-depth talks with 12 foreign leaders on a broad range of international issues. Consensus was reached to broaden political dialogue, strengthen mutually beneficial economic cooperation, ramp up cultural exchanges and engage in deeper coordination on global affairs.

 

His visit to Sweden, fulfilled in a spirit of friendship, was the first by a Chinese head of state since the two countries established diplomatic ties 57 years ago.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2007)