Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Friday called on countries to promote a multipolar world, stressing the importance of equality in handling international affairs.
In his keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, Dong urged members of the international society to treat each other with sincerity and impartiality, and participate in the international affairs on an equal footing.
"This is a platform of sharing and equality. Instead of imposing hierarchy on the international community, countries here are treated equally, regardless of their geographical locations, whether from the East, West, North, or South - every country has a place here," said the minister.
"Both developed and developing nations, either large or small, should impartially participate in international affairs, equally express their request of interests, and safeguard their legitimate rights in a fair manner. In a multipolar global system, every country should find its suitable position and contribute to the overall advancement of human civilization," Dong continued.
Chinese armed forces will resolutely implement the Global Security Initiative, and stand ready to build a new model of security partnerships with militaries around the world, he added.
Themed "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future," this year's forum, which runs until Saturday, is attended by more than 1,800 guests from over 100 countries and international organizations.
Chinese defense minister stresses equality of countries in int'l affairs
China in 2024 saw a faster transformation and upgrading of investment in manufacturing industry, a strong growth of investment in high-tech industries, and a rebound of investment in infrastructure construction, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Saturday.
The investment in manufacturing industry grew by 9.2 percent compared to the previous year, or six percentage points higher than the growth rate of overall investment. In particular, investment in technological upgrades of manufacturing industry increased by eight percent, or 4.8 percentage points higher than overall investment growth.
Private investment in manufacturing grew by 10.8 percent, driving up overall private investment by 5.3 percentage points.
The structure of investment continued to optimize. Investment in high-tech industries rose eight percent compared to the previous year, which was 4.8 percentage points higher than the growth rate of overall investment. In particular, investment in high-tech manufacturing grew by seven percent, and that in high-tech service industry grew by 10.2 percent. Investments related to high-tech industries, such as aerospace equipment manufacturing and professional technical services, increased by more than 30 percent.
In 2025, China plans to moderately increase central government budgetary investments, issue ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and local government special bonds, and enhance efforts to support projects for implementing major national strategies and building security capacity in key areas, as well as implementation of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs, with the aim of stimulating private investment activity through various measures, effectively leveraging government investment to drive social investment, improving investment efficiency, and promoting steady growth in investments.
Transformation, upgrading of China's manufacturing investment accelerates in 2024