Our Premier Wen's pledge that China is willing to respond to risks and challenges and share development opportunities with the international community received thunderous applause from lawmakers and political consultants attending the NPC and CPPCC annual sessions in Beijing yesterday.

Wen's promise shows that China, as a responsible member of the global village, is ready to work with others to tackle major issues in order to promote world peace and development. Wen said that China would further promote its relations with other major and neighboring countries for that purpose.

This should be welcomed by the international community, which is still struggling to emerge from global recession and to find ways to tackle climate change and ensure world security. Given its determination to pursue peaceful development, China will indeed help international efforts to resolve these issues.

Charting the blueprint for China's diplomacy this year, Premier Wen said China, as always, would continue to follow an independent foreign policy of peace and the pursuit of peaceful development. Adherence to this policy has helped build a favorable environment for economic and social construction at home and made China a principled and trustworthy partner in the global arena.

To achieve these goals, the government is expected to make greater efforts to push bilateral and multilateral forums for more dialogues and cooperation with other countries. We believe, that through hard work, China will once again prove to be an indispensable force of lasting peace, mutual development and a harmonious world.