Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Seattle on Wednesday that
China will "unswervingly follow the path of peaceful
development".
Hu made the remarks in a speech to experts and scholars from
China and the US who gathered in the port city for a seminar on
China's peaceful development and the future of Sino-US
relations.
A true knowledge of China's option for peaceful development is
vital for a profound understanding of the orientation of China's
future development, a firm hold on Sino-US common strategic
interests, and efforts to push for the healthy and steady
development of Sino-US relations, he said.
Hu added that China has adopted the path of peaceful development
in line with its national conditions, history and cultural
heritage, as well as the trend of the times.
"Upholding the banner of peace, development and cooperation, we
will firmly adhere to the independent foreign policy of peace,
follow the path of peaceful development, and carry out the mutually
beneficial and win-win strategy of opening-up to the rest of the
world," he said.
China not only seeks a peaceful international environment for
its development, but also aims to promote world peace through its
development, he noted.
A peacefully developing country can be a major force to boost
peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the
world at large. China's peaceful development will create a broader
space for cooperation between China and the US, and offer a
historic opportunity for the development of Sino-US ties.
Under the current international situation, the importance of
Sino-US relations has increased, not diminished; their common
strategic interests have expanded, not shrunk, and the space for
bilateral cooperation has broadened, not narrowed, the Chinese
president said.
With joint efforts, the development of Sino-US ties has
maintained a stable momentum over the years, benefiting not only
both countries and their people, but also boosting peace and
development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a
whole.
Hu said experts and scholars from both countries have a big role
to play in enhancing bilateral ties. He hoped that they would make
continued contributions to the development of the Sino-US
constructive relations of cooperation.
Hu arrived here earlier on Tuesday for his first state visit to
the US, with Seattle being the first stop of his four-day trip.
The US is also the first leg of his five-nation tour, which will
take him to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.
Hu's meeting with Gates
Also in Seattle, China will boost overseas companies' confidence
in the country's efforts to protect intellectual property rights
(IPR), Hu said in a meeting with Microsoft founder Bill Gates on
Tuesday.
"The talks between Hu and Gates were not to guarantee that China
would not have any problems with pirated software in the future,"
Wang Ziqiang, spokesman for the State Copyright Bureau, told a
press conference.
"These talks were a chance for the Chinese government to show
its commitment to protecting IPR and cracking down on IPR
violations."
Hu's meeting with Gates was to instill confidence in overseas
investors and companies in China's determination to crack down on
intellectual property violations and to believe that piracy can be
controlled with the consistent efforts of the Chinese government,
Wang said.
China recently issued regulations to the effect that computers
manufactured in China must be pre-installed with legitimate
operating systems. The same applies to imported computers sold in
China.
"We are right now working to promote the use of legitimate
software in enterprises, especially in state-owned enterprises
where government has more control," said Zhang Qin, deputy
commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office.
(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2006)
