BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- In anticipation of the Third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to be held in China from September 3 to 5, Cai Wu, vice minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a news conference here Thursday, announcing that China is "willing to work with the participating political parities to present Asia and the whole world an open, equal, cooperative and constructive regional and multilateral party conference."

This is the first time for the CPC to host an international political parties' conference, Cai stressed.

"It is a grand gathering for political parties from various Asian countries to share their experience in running the party and state affairs, explore ways of friendly cooperation, formulate strategies of peace and development through joint consultation and promote regional cooperation in Asia," he said.

The theme of the third ICAPP is "Exchange, Cooperation and Development", and the main topics include "regional security and multilateral cooperation, economic growth and social progress, party building and the national development," Cai said.

CPC leaders and Chinese state leaders will attend the three-day conference, he said. By Aug. 13, 82 political parties from 35 Asian countries had decided to attend the meeting. In addition to party presidents, general secretaries and other senior party officials, there will be celebrated statesmen who come in the capacity of heads of state and government or parliamentary speakers, he said. 

The ICAPP was initiated in 2000 with the first two conferences held in the Philippines and Thailand in September 2000 and November 2002 respectively, he said, adding the CPC participated in the previous two conferences and made positive contributions to their success.

Responding to the suggestion of the Standing Committee of ICAPP and requests from some Asian political parities, the CPC decided to host the Third ICAPP, Cai said.

With the changing international situation, political parties are playing an increasingly important role in the political life of the state, the wishes of different political parties to seek common ground while shelving differences for more cooperation are constantly on the rise and the impact of party-to-party exchanges and cooperation on regional and international affairs is felt on a larger scale, Cai said.

"Under such background, ICAPP came into being as the times demand and gradually unfolded in the continent where we all live," he said.

The ICAPP is an open forum which neither classifies the participants along ideological lines nor works for alignment among the parities, he said. 

"Transcending ideological differences and based on mutual respect, the participating parties instead of indulging in disputes, work hard to build a bridge of exchanges and friendship between the Asian political parties through in-depth discussions and communication on issues of common concern and multilateral dialogues and exchanges," he said.

Judging from the actual effects of the previous two conferences, the ICAPP has played an important role in promoting mutual understanding and exchanges among the Asian political parties, reinforcing the development of state-to-state relationship and improving regional cooperation, he said.

"Therefore, the ICAPP conforms with the new situation and the CPC's foreign policy, reflecting the common aspirations of Asian parties," he said.

Based on the principles of independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, the CPC has carried out various exchanges and cooperation with political parties worldwide, since China's opening-up and reform more than two decades ago, involving more than 400 political parties and organizations in over 140 countries and regions including more than 100 political parities and organizations in more than 30 Asian countries, he said.

By hosting the third ICAPP, the CPC demonstrates its sincere wish to promote regional cooperation and seek common development in Asia as well as provides an opportunity for other Asian political parties to gain an insight in and understanding of the CPC's policies and positions, concepts of governance and in particular, China's foreign policy with its neighboring countries, Cai said.

It also serves as an arena for political figures and party leaders of Asian countries to exchange views and seek common development. Success of the conference will not only be conducive to pushing forward the understanding and cooperation among Asian political parties and regional cooperation among Asian countries, but also be favorable to a healthy, stable and sustainable development of the party and state relations between China and other Asian countries, he continued. 

He said the CPC attaches great importance to the conference and has specially forged the organizing committee of the conference, with Zeng Qinghong, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice-president of China, as honorary chairman, Liu Yunshan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, as chairman, and Wang Jiarui, minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, as vice-chairman and secretary-general of the organizing committee. 

Preparations for the conference by the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee have been going smoothly and its scale will exceed the last two conferences, he added. 

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