Speech by Vice President Zeng Qinghong at Opening Ceremony of 2005 UCLG Council

In this summer month of July, I am delighted to gather with you at the opening ceremony of 2005 Council Meeting, World Mayors Forum by the International Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). First, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, heartfelt congratulations on the convening of the meeting and the forum and a warm welcome to all the friends present!

The theme of the forum is the role of cities and local governments in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It shows the close attention paid by the UCLG to development. I am sure the forum will facilitate the realization of the UN MDGs. In the present-day world, peace and development are irreversible historical trends and the shared aspiration of all the people around the globe. Development is the only way to meet people’s increasing material and cultural needs and advance the progress of human civilization. It was precisely for the purpose of conforming to these trends of the times and improving the well-being of the whole humanity that the UN Millennium Summit held in September 2000 adopted a solemn declaration to identify the MDGs for the economic and social development for the coming 15 years. It was the first time that the UN had instituted a system of development goals that has a time frame and can be evaluated quantitatively, thus giving a new impetus to the economic and social development of all countries. Over the past five years, governments and peoples around the world have made unremitting efforts to achieve these goals and the MDGs have won more and more popular support. We have every reason to believe that with the hard work and wisdom of all peoples, and with the ever closer economic and technological exchanges and cooperation among all countries, the MDGs will definitely be translated into reality!

The Chinese government fully supports the UN Millennium Declaration, and has integrated the MDGs into its master plans of economic and social development. We have defined our development goals for the first 20 years of this century, that is, to seize the strategic opportunities to build a moderately prosperous society of a higher standard in an all-round way to the benefit of China’s population of well over one billion. By 2020, China’s GDP is expected to reach US $4 trillion, quadrupling that of the year 2000, with the per capita GDP reaching US$3,000. We will further develop the economy, improve democracy, advance science and education, enrich culture, foster social harmony, and upgrade the texture of life for the people. For a big developing nation with 1.3 billion people, this is a grand goal requiring arduous efforts from all its population. In order to realize this grand goal, we must follow the people-oriented policy and grasp the concept of comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable scientific development to guide the work in the economic and social arena, concentrate on economic development as our top priority, deepen reform, and open wider to the outside world. We must balance urban and rural development, development among regions, economic and social development, development of man and nature, and domestic development and opening to the outside world. Efforts should be made to build our country in a comprehensive manner in the economic, political, cultural aspects as well as in the creation of a harmonious society, and promote an all-round development of people. Today, the Chinese people are concentrating their efforts on building up their country and whole-heartedly working in a down-to-earth manner to push forward the progress of the whole society. In this process, we are building a socialist society that is democratic and law-based, fair and just, trustworthy and friendly, full of vigour and vitality, secure and orderly, and in which man and nature are in harmony.

Today, with the acceleration of economic globalization, the economic relations among countries have been increasingly closer and to strengthen economic and technological cooperation and realize common development have become the requirements of the times. China’s development is closely related with the rest of the world and the world’s prosperity cannot be separated from China. The sustained development of China’s economy and society has laid a solid foundation for the improvement of Chinese people’s living standards and quality. It has also provided important opportunities for the economic and social development of the rest of the world, especially the neighbouring countries. We will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development and cooperation, and stick to the road of peaceful development and persist in the basic national policy of opening up to the outside world. We will pursue win-win results and common prosperity in our economic and technological exchange and cooperation with all countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We will join hands with other countries to promote mankind’s noble cause of peace and development and make contributions to the realization of the UN MDGs.

Cities show the development of human civilization and they are the driving force for the economic and social development of a country or region. As administrators of a city or region, local governments shoulder the important responsibilities of promoting economic and social development and the well-being of the local people, especially handling crises and preventing disasters. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the role of cities and local governments in national economic and social development, and sticks to the road of urbanization with Chinese characteristics. It continues to step up urban planning, construction and management, improve cities’ functions, and give full play to the essential role of cities in economic, cultural and social development. As a result, the look of our cities has changed remarkably and the working and living conditions of urban residents have been constantly improved. In line with the purpose of serving the people, the Chinese local governments at all levels have carried out administrative reforms to raise their efficiency in administration and the capability to perform their functions of economic adjustment, market supervision and regulation, community management and public service. They have played an important role in promoting local economic and social development.

The UCLG is the largest international organization of local governments in the world and plays an important role in promoting local governments’ democratic and effective administration over their respective localities. The mayors and officials attending this meeting and forum are all experts with rich experience in city and local administration. This forum offers a good opportunity for you to meet and learn from each other’s experience, and hold discussions on how to strengthen and improve city and local administration. This will surely contribute to raising administrative standards of the municipal and local governments of all countries as well as the well-being of the people.

Finally, I wish this Council Meeting and the World Mayors Forum a complete success and all of you a happy stay in Beijing!