Jorge Mora, Asia CEO of Veolia Environment

Your Excellency Mr. Dominique de Villepin, Former Frime Minister of France,

honorable Mr. Huang Xiaoxiang, Vice Governor of Sichuan Province,

honorable Mr. Ge Honglin, Mayor of Chengdu City,

ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning! Please first allow me to extend my gratitude to APCEO, the government of Sichuan Province and the government of Chengdu City for kindly inviting me here.

In ancient China, there was one monarch who came from a long line of doctors and was also the most renowned doctor in his times. His oldest brother gained his fame due to the fact that he started with treatment even before the illness manifested itself. His second oldest brother put his hand to the illness as long as it showed the slightest symptom. He was famous among his patients for massaging their skins while doing acupuncture. This kind of therapy also applies to strategies to resolve conflicts as well as strategies in military affairs. Faced with today's financial crisis, what we need is just this kind of physicians. We should take measures to address problems as soon as we find them out.

In military arts, the key point lies in making all conflicts less important. As a matter of fact, it is more advisable to defeat the enemies without firing a single shot than attacking and conquering their cities. In this case, we maximizes the profits while minimizing the costs.

The right choice is: to make plans before things get too complicated, and to address problems before they become more serious and widespread. Wise men should be precautious beforehand. Today, we are aware of what's going on in the world even behind closed doors. The so-called action means that we should know about the disaster and the crisis before they crop up. We need transform dangers into security, disasters into wealth, and foreseeable risks into opportunities. And it is also necessary for us to gain victory with unstained swords and to maintain long-lasting peace in the world.

History won't tell us whether there is a battle lying ahead. We should test each step before taking it. But we must fight. Just as the Long March, nobody foresaw it, but it turned out to be a successful practice. We can conquer any crisis if we believe we can. If you feel tired, just think about the Long March. Can the financial crisis compete with the Long March? Are we all ready to start our journey? Thank you!