历史使命

　　我很高兴来到了美丽的枫叶之国。首先，我要对克雷蒂安总理和加拿大政府的周到安排表示衷心的感谢。

　　It is a great pleasure for me to come to thispicturesque land of maples. First of all, please allowme to extend my heartfelt thanks to you, PrimeMinister Chretien, and the Canadian Government foryour considerate arrangements.

　　人类即将进入二十一世纪，总结过去，面向未来，我们需要确立顺应时代潮流的合作观念和合作方式。

　　As mankind is approaching the 21st century, it is necessary for us to develop a concept as wellas a modality for cooperation that are in conformity with the trend of the times bysummarizing the past experience and looking into the future.

　　亚太经合组织是本地区最有影响力的经济论坛，也是世界上最具活力的经济合作组织之一。它的运行方式具有自己的基本观点，这就是：充分尊重各成员的多样性;承认成员之间发展水平和发展阶段上的差异及其带来的不同利益与需求;强调灵活性、渐进性和开放性;遵循平等互利、协商一致、求同存异、自主自愿的原则;实行单边行动与集体行动相结合。

　　APEC is the most influential economic forum in our region and one of the most dynamicorganizations for economic cooperation in the world. It has its own basic features in itsapproach, that is, giving full consideration to the diversity of its members andacknowledging their divergence at the level and stage of development as well as theconsequent differing interests and needs; laying emphasis on flexibility, step-by-stepprogress and openness; adhering to such principles as equality and mutual benefit, consensus, seeking common ground while putting aside differences as well as voluntarism; andcombining individual with collective actions.

　　实践越来越证明，“亚太经合组织方式”符合本地区的实际，有利于各成员的不同权益和要求得到较好的平衡，有助于发挥各个成员的能力，促进共同发展，坚持这种方式，使亚太经合组织成员加强合作的重要保证。

　　Practice has proved all the more clearly that the APEC Approach, which responds to th e realityin the region, is conducive to achieving a balance of rights, interests and needs of variousmembers. It will also help its member economies to give full play to their capability forcommon development. Adherence to this approach affords an important guarantee forstrengthened cooperation among APEC members.