Former Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen called Shanghai on Monday for a better Asia-Pacific region at the ongoing 60th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The goals of maintenance of peace and stability, mutual respectand trust, full development of all the people, respect of human rights and dignity, elimination of poverty and inequality, coexistence of different cultures in harmony and abandoning of discrimination and prejudice should be realized in the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

In addressing a high-level visionary panel meeting for Asia andthe Pacific 2020 of the session, Qian said all kinds of threats and challenges including territorial and border disputes, ethnic, political and military conflicts as well as economic and resource conflicts exist on the way to those goals.

He advocated collective actions, equality and mutual benefit, maintenance of cultural diversity and balanced and sustainable development, suggesting multilateral cooperative mechanisms with the United Nations as the core should be enhanced.

International disputes in the Asia-Pacific region should be peacefully solved through dialogues, negotiations and mediations in accordance with the UN Charter, he said.

Poverty and under-development are important factors causing theconflicts and instability in the region, so the solution of the development issue is the most urgent task for the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the sharpest weapon to deal with threats and challenges, he said.

A powerful China is not a threat to neighboring countries, but a partner, since China has a tradition of "building a good neighborly relationship," he said.

The peaceful rise of China will benefit the region and the world at large, and China will stick to principles of equality, cooperation and mutual benefit in regional cooperation, he said.

Source: Xinhua