PERTH, Australia, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Jia Qinglin said here on Wednesday China is still a developing country and will stay committed to the basic state policy of opening-up and adhere to the path of peaceful development.
In a welcoming luncheon attended by Premier of Western Australia Colin Barnett and entrepreneurs from the two countries, Jia said the basic fact that China is still a developing country has not changed.
"China's per capita GDP is only a little more than 4,200 U. S. dollars, 1/10 of Australia's and ranking behind more than 100 countries. We still have an over 700 million rural population whose annual per capita net income is roughly 750 U.S. dollars," He said, adding that China still has a long way to go before it can achieve modernization.
Jia said China draws the major conclusion from its own development experience and learns lessons that one can never achieve development behind closed doors, and only reform and opening-up is the right way to prosperity.
"China has opened up the door to the outside world, and the door will never close, but open even further," he said.
"Just as Mr. Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform and opening-up program, stated, 'reform and opening up will continue throughout the course of China's development,'" he said.
Jia also said China will firmly adhere to the path of peaceful development. "The Chinese love peace and have a long-held tradition of valuing peace. Our love for peace has been passed on from generation to generation and runs deep in our blood," he said.
"To make new progress, we still need a peaceful international environment. We will firmly follow the path of peaceful development to develop ourselves by seeking a peaceful international environment and promote world peace through our development," Jia said.
Jia arrived here on Tuesday for a 6-day visit to Australia, the second stop of his three-nation tour, which will also take him to Samoa. |
