At a press conference organized by the State Council Information
Office on August 19, 2004, Cai Wu, vice minister of the International Department of the CPC
Central Committee, announced that the Third International
Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) will be held in
Beijing on September 3.
This is the very first international political party meeting
ever sponsored by the CPC
in its history. It is a grand gathering for political parties from
various Asian countries to share their experience in running the
party and state affairs, explore ways of friendly cooperation,
formulate strategies of peace and development through joint
consultation and promote regional cooperation in Asia.
In recent years, new characteristics have appeared in the world
party politics amid profound changes in the international
situation. In Asia, they are mainly reflected in the following
three aspects: 1) The role and status of political parties in the
national political life are increasingly in high profile. 2) The
wishes of different political parties to seek common ground while
shelving differences for more cooperation are constantly on the
rise. 3) The impact of party-to-party exchanges and cooperation on
regional and international affairs is felt on a larger scale. Under
such background, ICAPP came into being as the times demand and
gradually unfolded in the continent where we all live.
Starting from the year 2000, ICAPP is held every two years.
Initiated by the Lakas-National Union of Christian Muslim Democrats
(Lakas—CMD) of the Philippines, the 1st ICAPP was held in September
2000 in Manila. Delegates from 46 political parties of 26 Asian
countries attended the Conference. The 2nd ICAPP was held in
Bangkok in November 2002, hosted by the Thai Rak Thai Party, the
ruling party of Thailand. Delegates from 77 political parties of 35
countries in the Asian-Pacific region attended the Conference.
Under the main theme of "Consultation, Cooperation and Seeking
Common Development", the Conference plays a unique role in
enhancing mutual exchanges, promoting consensus, deepening mutual
understanding and trust, improving bilateral relations among Asian
countries and propelling Asia's regional
cooperation.???
The International Conference of Asian Political Parties is an
open forum characterized by the fact that it neither classifies the
participants along ideological lines nor does it work for alignment
among the parties. Transcending ideological differences and based
on mutual respect, the participating parties instead of indulging
in disputes, work hard to build a bridge of inter-action and
friendship between the Asian political parties through in-depth
discussions and communications on issues of common concern and
multi-lateral dialogues and exchanges. Judging from the actual
effects of the previous two conferences, the ICAPP has played an
important role in promoting mutual understanding and exchanges
among the Asian political parties, reinforcing the development of
state-to-state relationship and improving regional cooperation. The
Communist Party of China dispatched delegates to both of the two
previous conferences who played a positive part in ensuring their
success.
Responding to the suggestion of the Standing Committee of the
ICAPP and requests from some Asian political parties, the CPC made
the decision to host the Third International Conference of Asian
Political Parties. The Conference will convene from September 3-5,
2004 in Beijing. Top leaders of China’s Parties and State will
attend the Conference. Up till August 13, 2004, 82 political
parties from 35 countries have decided to send delegates to the
Conference. Apart from party presidents, general secretaries and
other senior party officials, there will be celebrated statesmen
who come in the capacity of heads of stateand
government or parliamentary speakers. It is estimated that this
Conference will very likely exceed the previous two in terms of
size.
The theme of this Conference is “Exchange, Cooperation and
Development” and the three topics for discussion are, namely,
“regional security and multi-lateral cooperation, economic growth
and social progress and party building and the national
development”. The theme so set by this Conference is not only to
maintain a continuation of that of the two previous conferences
which was “Consultation, Cooperation and Seeking Common
Development”, but also conform to the prevailing trend in Asia for
regional cooperation and tally with China’s stands for supporting
Asian regional cooperation. The theme is highly appraised by all
parties concerned.
The goal of this Conference is to encourage broad and thorough
exchange of points of view among the Asian political parties on
issues of common concern in order to reach a consensus, that is, a
sound, stable and sustainable development of Asian regional
cooperation can be promoted through the channel of inter-party
cooperation.
The CPC has always attached great importance to external
exchanges and cooperation and has maintained close contact with the
outside world. Since the initiation of China’s reform and opening
up, the CPC has adapted its international approaches to the
changing trends of the new era and carried out its exchanges and
cooperation with foreign political parties and organizations around
such theme of the times as peace and development. In doing so, the
CPC has always adhered to the four basic principles governing
party-to-party relations, namely, independence, complete equality,
mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal
affairs in order to seek friendship and cooperation regardless of
the ideological differences. Currently, the CPC has established and
maintained contacts and exchanges in various forms with more than
400 political parties and organizations in over 140 countries and
regions in the world including over 100 political parties and
organizations in 34 Asian countries. Exchanges with Asian political
parties have been the focus of the CPC’s external work. This kind
of exchanges and cooperation have made great contributions to
promoting state relations between China and other Asian countries,
furthering friendship between the Chinese people and the peoples of
other Asian countries as well as enhancing regional cooperation in
Asia.
By hosting the 3rd ICAPP, the CPC demonstrates its sincere wish
to promote regional cooperation and seek common development in Asia
as well as provides an opportunity for other Asian political
parties to gain an insight in and understanding of the CPC’s
policies and positions, concepts of governance and in particular,
China’s foreign policy with its neighboring countries, namely,
“Being a good Friend and Partner with the Neighbors”. It also
serves as an arena for political figures and party leaders of Asian
countries to exchange views and seek common development. Success of
the Conference will not only be conducive to pushing forward the
understanding and cooperation among Asian political parties and
regional cooperation among Asian countries, but also surely be
favorable to a healthy, stable and sustainable development of the
party and state relations between China and other Asian
countries.
Setting great store by the Conference, the CPC has in particular
formed an Organizing Committee with Mr. Zeng Qinghong, member of
the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central
Committee and vice president of China as the Honorary Chairman, Mr.
Liu Yunshan, member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the
CPC Central Committee as its Chairman. Mr. Wang Jiarui, minister of
the International Department of the CPC Central Committee serves as
the Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of the Organizing
Committee. The International Department of the CPC Central
Committee leads off in the specific preparation and detailed
arrangements of the Conference. At present, all preparatory work is
being smoothly underway.
The CPC is willing to work in concerted efforts with friends of
the participating political parties to present to Asia and the
whole world the ICAPP as a regional and multi-lateral party
conference that is open, cooperative and constructive and welcomes
every participant to contribute on an equal footing.
(China.org.cn August 19, 2004)