Hu says stronger China means peace, stability

Hu says stronger China means peace, stability

Didier Lauras, Agence France-Presse/Hanoi

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday tried to calm fears in
Asia about Beijing's growing might but left no doubt that China
intends to re-balance a unipolar world dominated by the United
States.

Given a rare invitation to address the Vietnamese parliament,
Hu said Asian nations should stick together and that they had
nothing to fear from China's increasing political and economic
muscle.

"China's development is peaceful, broad-based and
cooperative," he said. "China's development poses an obstacle to
no one and undermines no one. On the contrary, it benefits peace,
stability and global prosperity."

But he made it clear that China had designs on redressing the
global balance with the only remaining superpower, a regular
concern of the Chinese communist leadership.

"China will actively promote the process of multi-
polarization, globalization and the establishment of a fair
political and economic world order," he said.

"The major changes in China are linked to the fact that we
have found a way of developing that is in line with the Chinese
situation."

The Chinese leader arrived in Hanoi on Monday for his first
trip to the communist country since becoming president, after an
official visit to Beijing by his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Duc
Luong in July.

Beijing, which has seen 9.4 percent economic growth over the
first nine months of the year, has stepped up its efforts over
recent years to increase its influence and trade ties in the
region.

China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) decided in November last year to create a free-
trade zone comprised of two billion people -- the largest in the
world by population, by 2020.

The two have struck an accord aimed at reducing tariffs to
between zero and 5 percent on certain types of goods.

It will apply to the six most advanced ASEAN economies --
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and
Thailand -- by 2010, and to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar
by 2015.

China's immense sway, however, worries certain countries in
Southeast Asia, and Beijing often states its good intentions.

"Asia is our shared home. China's development is tied to
Asia," Hu said.

"With Asian countries, we foresee reaching an understanding in
the political sphere, mutually profitable cooperation in the
economic sphere and trust and cooperation in security matters."

A Western diplomat, who asked not to be named, said, "the
Chinese need to reassure other nations and indeed reassure
themselves."

"Small countries fear losing control over their domestic
markets while rich ones such as Singapore are afraid of being
sidelined," the diplomat said.

Hu also underlined the very close links between Vietnam's and
China's communist parties.

Experts say Hanoi can undertake few reforms without the tacit
support of Beijing, even more so as Vietnam prepares for the 10th
Congress of its communist party next year.

They also point out that Hu's visit comes after Vietnamese
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in June became the first Vietnamese
head of government to visit Washington since the end of the war
between the two countries in 1975.

"The Vietnamese comrades present here are interested in
China's development, and we also are very closely watching
Vietnam's development," Hu said.

"Leaders of both sides agree it is in the basic interests of
China and Vietnam and their people to promote friendly mutual
trust, cooperation for mutual benefits and common development
between the two countries and the CPC and the CPV."

Hu was expected to leave Hanoi on Wednesday morning after a
trip to the central city of Danang was canceled due to bad
weather.