Foreign leaders say China will play more important role on world stage

The Danish parliament speaker, the Belarussian deputy prime minister and the Spanish foreign minister have said that China will play a more important role on world stage. During their respective interviews with Xinhua, the three officials also said the ongoing 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a very important event. Danish Parliament Speaker Mogens Lykketoft spoke highly of the keynote report delivered by CPC Central Committee General-Secretary Hu Jintao at the opening of the CPC congress, saying that China would have a more open society and play a more important role on world arena after the congress, which opened Thursday in Beijing. "Politically and economically, China will be a major interest for every one of us," he said, adding the Chinese leadership would be as always dedicated to safeguarding world peace and development. The 18th CPC congress is a very important meeting, and China is electing a new leadership, he said, adding that it is "very encouraging" that Hu talked very strongly about the fight against corruption which "could be fatal for the party and for China." Lykketoft stressed that he pays special attention to the issue of sustainable growth to be discussed at the congress, saying China has scored impressive growth for the past 30 years, and that China would have more sustainable but maybe lower growth as having been expressed by Chinese leaders on several occasions. China would combat more firmly against climate change, pollution and other challenges, he added. Belarussian Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Tozik said the 18th CPC congress will ensure continuity in the country's foreign and domestic policies. The more smoothly China develops, the more contribution it can make to world peace and development, he said. The importance of the 18th congress to China's development in the future 10 years is evident as it will elect a new generation of Chinese leaders, and map out plans to promote steady, healthy and rapid economic development, and to further improve people's welfare, he said. The congress will also help solve such problems as how to build an innovation-driven economy and narrow the regional gap between China's more developed coastal regions and underdeveloped central and western areas, as well as between urban and rural areas, he said. The party congress will deal with the pressing issues through thoroughly and systematically analyzing domestic and foreign situations and accordingly making strategic decisions, he said. "With no doubt, the 2,200 representatives elected by the 82 million Chinese Communists will make strategic decisions for China's development," the Belarussian official said. According to Tozik, how to address the challenges facing China is not only important for the country and its people, but also influences the whole world. The more smoothly China develops, the more strongly it will guarantee a stable development of the world economy and the greater contribution it will make to world peace, he said, adding that is the reason why he thinks millions of people on the planet will follow the CPC congress with great attention. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said China, which has become the world's second largest economy, plays an important role in world peace and international affairs. As to Hu's keynote report, which sets a goal to double China's GDP and average per capita income for both urban and rural residents by 2020 on the levels of 2010, he said the development plan is not only of great importance for China, but also will have an important effect on other countries. China's development favors Spanish exports and attracts Spanish businesses to seek opportunities in China, he said.