ASEM sends confident message

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-26-2008 09:51

Confidence, cooperation, and responsibility were the key messages at a news conference after the closing ceremony. Premier Wen Jiabao and other ASEM member leaders say they're looking forward to turning the words of their joint statement into reality.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy explained why he consider the summit another great event after the Beijing Olympic Games.

With the conclusion of the vision part of the ASEM summit, leaders from the two continents agree it's time to act. The question is how.

The Chinese premier identified confidence as key to coping with the global financial turmoil.

Wen Jiabao says "Confidence means that all countries, especially the developed ones, need to speedily take decisive measures to stabilize the financial markets so as to restore public confidence."

Wen Jiabao says China's top priority is to try to expand domestic demand, but cautions it will take time for stimulus measures to feed through into faster growth.

The other three coordinators, the EU, Brunei, and France, all acknowledge the significance of the Summit and promise closer partnership among members.