BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Friday that to turn the Bogor Goals into reality would contribute to closing the economic gap between the APEC members and achieving common development and prosperity.

    "The Bogor Goals we set in 1994 constitute a landmark in the building of the Asia-Pacific Community," Hu said at the 13th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meetingwhich kicked off on Friday in South Korea's southeastern port cityof Busan.

    The economic leaders from the 21 APEC economies attended the meeting with the main theme of "Toward One Community: Meet the Challenge, Make the Change." On top of its agenda are free trade, combat against terrorism and avian influenza.

    "We should not fail to see that not all trade barriers have been removed and that the evolving world economic situation poses new challenges to the development of the region," the Chinese president said in the speech entitled "Working Together in Closer Asia-Pacific Cooperation Toward a Harmonious Future."

    The Bogor Goals, set in Bogor, Indonesia in 1994, specify the APEC objectives for free and open trade and investment among industrialized members by 2010, and among developing members by 2020.

    "To reach the Bogor Goals on schedule, we must consolidate whatwe have achieved so far and make new innovations on that basis to substantiate the content of cooperation, broaden cooperation channels and enhance cooperation quality," Hu told his fellow APECeconomic leaders.

    He added that the APEC member economies need to balance the following three relationships:

    -- The relationship between greater market liberalization and increased economic and technological cooperation.

    As the two wheels of APEC cooperation, market liberalization and economic and technological cooperation are important means to stimulate regional economic development. They should reinforce each other and be given equal emphasis, said the Chinese presidentwho arrived in Busan on Thursday.

    "We are in favor of strengthening the Individual Action Plan (IAP) and Collective Action Plan (CAP) and promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in the region through an improved peer review mechanism," said the Chinese president.

    "We are also in favor of more investment in economic and technological cooperation and better program planning and coordination so that the program can be better-targeted and more practical to effectively help developing members enhance their ability to develop economy and participate in international competition," he added.               

    -- The relationship between strengthening economic cooperation and conducting security cooperation.

    Since the beginning of this year, many places around the world have been hit by terrorist attacks, inflicting heavy losses of life and property, Hu said.

    "We support APEC in doing what is necessary in the field of counter-terrorism to meet the actual need of safeguarding economicand trade safety in the Asia-Pacific," the Chinese president pledged.

    "We are of the view that the relevant cooperation should supportand supplement rather than disrupt or dilute the theme of economiccooperation and should fully accommodate concerns of all sides andproperly handle related sensitive issues," he added.

    -- The relationship between implementing existing consensus andexploring new areas of cooperation.

    "We need to first deliver on past promises by unswervingly moving toward the Bogor Goals," Hu said. "Meanwhile, we must adaptourselves to the changing economic environment in the region and the world at large to conduct cooperation on disaster reduction, health and anti-corruption and exploring new channels and areas for more trade and investment cooperation," Hu said.

    "To keep up APEC's features and efficiency, we should stay focused on priorities without trying to do everything," Hu added.

    This year, APEC has decided to take a series of reform measures,which is of positive significance to its future development, Hu noted.

    He also urged the APEC members to uphold the principles of consensus and voluntarism and deepen their mutually beneficial cooperation to constantly add new vigor and vitality to the growthof APEC.

    "China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other APEC members and make a contribution to building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity," Hu pledged.

    During the first day session of the two-day gathering, the APECeconomic leaders exchanged views on economic and trade issues under the theme of "Advancing Freer Trade."

    Also on Friday, the Chinese president and other APEC economic leaders met with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council to hear their recommendations on key issues, such as the WTO's stagnant Doha Round of free trade talks.

    Hu answered questions presented by ABAC members on Asia-Pacificfree trade, China-Chile free trade agreement, trade facilitation and avian flu.

    Since its inception in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies, APEC has become a formidable regional forum acting as the primary regional vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic and technical cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

    APEC accounts for more than one-third of the world's population,about 60 percent of world GDP and nearly half of world trade. It represents the most economically dynamic region in the world, having generated nearly 70 percent of global economic growth in its first 10 years.

    APEC currently has 21 members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan,Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. The chairmanship rotates among its members, with South Korea holding the chair this year. Enditem