The Fuxing bullet train runs on the Yuanjiang Bridge of the China-Laos railway in Honghe, southwest China's Yunnan province. (PHOTO: VCG)

By Staff Reporters

At the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting held in San Francisco recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on APEC members to stick to innovation, openness, green and inclusive development in promoting regional cooperation in order for the region to usher in another "golden 30 years."

Since the establishment of the economic leaders' regular meeting mechanism, China has been calling on APEC members to stay committed to innovation-driven development, and create new drivers of growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

Creating environment for sustainable development

"We must harness technological and economic progress to continue to unleash the enormous potential and tremendous dynamism across our region, spur economic growth, as well as to address all environmental challenges, including climate change," says the Golden Gate Declaration, adopted during the APEC meeting.

China is in an important position in regional technological cooperation, especially in the fields of digitalization, telecommunications and renewable energy, and it will make positive contributions to regional technological innovation progress and sustainable development, said Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center.

In terms of digital transformation, China is a world leader with vast experience to share with APEC members, according to Sean Randolph, senior director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

Last month, President Xi replied to a letter from Cuban scientist Pedro A. Valdes-Sosa, stressing that international cooperation in science and technology is a major trend and all countries need to work jointly to promote peace and development for humanity through sci-tech innovation.

Echoing this view, Valdes-Sosa believes that only by allowing scientists to communicate with each other and the global community to engage each other can human progress be promoted.

Addressing global challenges

Given the increasingly grave challenges such as climate change and natural disasters, working together to addressing global challenges was highlighted at the meeting.

"It has never been more important to work on building greater resilience for our businesses, better living standards for our communities, and [creating] a sustainable future," said Dominic Ng of East-West Bank, the 2023 Chair of APEC Business Advisory Council.

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen said at the 2023 APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting, "The actions we take matter, not only for our economies and people but also to address the global challenges the world faces," according to The Straits Times.

Vitaly Mankevich, president of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, told the meeting that the concept of openness and cooperation advocated by China is in line with the trend of global technological innovation cooperation and can benefit all participants. It is crucial for countries to strengthen coordination and cooperation in the field of science and technology to jointly address the challenges facing mankind, he added.

China is a key participant in APEC's efforts to achieve fair, just, sustainable and inclusive development, said Constanza Jorquera Mery, scholar at University of Santiago who specializes in international political issues. She said that China is committed to promoting technological innovation, addressing climate change, as well as trade facilitation, which will help enhance the Asia-Pacific region's resilience to global challenges.