China champions new Asian security concept: Xi

SHANGHAI - China is a strong champion of the Asian security concept and is working to put it into practice, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Wednesday.

Xi made the remarks in a key-note speech on a new Asian approach to security delivered at the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia held in east China's Shanghai on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"China will take solid steps to strengthen security dialogue and cooperation with other parties, and jointly explore the formulation of a code of conduct for regional security and an Asian security partnership program, making Asian countries good partners that trust one another and cooperate on an equal footing, " Xi said.

China is a staunch force for upholding peace in the region and the world, and for promoting common development, he said, adding that the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence that China initiated together with India and Myanmar have become a basic norm governing state-to-state relations.

The Chinese president told his audience that China remains committed to seeking peaceful settlement of disputes with other countries over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and has completely resolved, through friendly consultation, land boundary issues with 12 of its 14 neighboring countries.

"Being an active participant in regional security cooperation, China is one of the initiators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," Xi noted.

He said his country also advocates a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, and supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and the League of Arab States in playing a positive role in regional affairs.

"China and Russia jointly initiated an Asia-Pacific security and cooperation initiative, which has played an important role in strengthening and maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," he added.

China is working to push forward the Six-Party Talks and supports peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan, making unremitting efforts in solving international and regional hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation, according to Xi.

Also, China joined forces with countries in the region and the wider international community to tackle the Asian financial crisis and the international financial crisis, making its due contribution to promoting regional and global economic growth, he noted.

He meanwhile vowed China's firm commitment to the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening up, and expressed China's willingness to develop friendly ties and cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.

"China's peaceful development begins here in Asia, finds its support in Asia, and delivers tangible benefits to Asia," he stressed.

Quoting a Chinese proverb, Xi said, "Neighbors wish each other well, just like family members do to each other."

China, he said, always pursues friendship and partnership with its neighbors, seeks to bring amity, security and common prosperity to its neighborhood, practices the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and works hard to make its development bring more benefits to countries in Asia.

China will work with other countries to speed up the development of an economic belt along the Silk Road and a 21st Century maritime silk road, and hopes that the Asian infrastructure investment bank can be launched at an early date, Xi added.

He also vowed that China will get more deeply involved in the regional cooperation process, and play its due part to ensure that development and security in Asia facilitate each other and are mutually reinforcing.

China is ready to put in place mechanisms for regular exchange and cooperation with countries in the region to jointly combat the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Xi said.

He went onto say that his country is ready to discuss with regional countries the creation of an Asian forum for security cooperation in law enforcement and an Asian security emergency response center to deepen security cooperation in law enforcement and better respond to major emergencies by coordinating national efforts in the region.

China calls for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations and religions through various means, such as holding a conference for dialogues among Asian civilizations, so that they will be able to draw on each other's strengths and achieve common progress, the president said.