Good evening! It’s my great honor to attend the Xiangshan Forum.

The theme of this year’s forum cannot be more appropriate. As far as we can see, “Win-win through Cooperation: Building an Asian Community of Shared Destiny” is the way to go for Asia.

Asia was the cradle of ancient civilization. Yet Asia suffered a lot in modern times. Many Asian countries fell prey to colonial or semi-colonial rule. Many of them won back their independence after WWII, only to be trapped in a Cold War.Since the end of the Cold War, Asian countries were finally able to focus on development and on exploring a path suited to their national conditions. Embracing the principles of mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, Asian countries ushered in the age of Asian rejuvenation and created the Asian miracle.

Forces of globalization have transformed our world into a global village. The interests of countries have never been so closely inter-connected. We are all bound together as one community of shared destiny.While we take pride in Asia becoming a major pillar and driver of growth for the world economy, we are aware of the imbalances building up in Asia, imbalances in Asia’s development, imbalances between the two wheels of economy and security, and the rising challenge in balancing the interests of regional countries and outside players.Asia can only go far if it follows the trend of ours times, seize opportunities and build up the community of shared destiny.

In the past two years since taking office, the new Chinese leadership placed much priority on enhancing regional and international cooperation, as it pressed ahead with the agenda of comprehensive deepening of reform and opening-up.Chinese leaders put forward a wide range of initiatives and proposals for regional cooperation, such as the Silk Road Economic Belt, 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the Asian Security Concept, and a community of shared destiny between China and ASEAN and in Asia in general.As a big Asian nation with 14 neighbors on land and 8 across the sea, China knows only too well that it depends on Asia for peace and development, and that its hope and future lies in building the Asian community of shared destiny.

In my humble views, we need to build three pillars for the Asian community.

First, a community of shared interests. This is the foundation for the Asian community. Asian countries should complement each other’s strengths through cooperation and tighten the bond of common interests and economic integration.Major countries should support ASEAN community-building and ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation. We should make good use of the ASEAN plus one (10+1) and ASEAN plus three (10+3) frameworks to deepen practical cooperation and gradually shape an East Asian economic community.

Second, a community of shared responsibility. This is an important safeguard for the Asian community. Prosperity comes only with peace. Compared with some other regions, Asia is blessed with overall stability. There exists no major threat to lasting peace in Asia. This situation should be cherished.Asian countries bear primary responsibility for the security of their region. We should enhance mutual understanding and trust through closer dialogue and cooperation, and jointly promote regional peace and stability.

Third, a community of culture and people. If economy and security are the two wheels driving the Asian community, then cultural and people-to-people exchanges is the spoke connecting the two wheels.Asia is rich in diversity and cultural heritage. We should promote exchanges, dialogue, and encourage inclusiveness and mutual learning. We should increase the flow of our peoples, deepen friendship and turn Asia into a big and harmonious family.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Stability in Asia has wider global significance and is drawing global attention. I’m glad it is also the central topic of this Forum. Let me share with you a few thoughts on how to build a foundation of peace and stability for the Asian Community of Shared Destiny.

First, there needs to be new concepts and approaches to security. Old security concepts based on the Cold War mentality, zero-sum game, and worship of force are being overtaken by new trends of regional economic integration. Strengthening bilateral military alliances and ensuring absolute security for oneself will easily worsen divisions and confrontation in the region.In the absence of a generally accepted common security concept in Asia, countries should embrace openness and inclusiveness and explore a new path for Asian security.

At the CICA Conference (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) in Shanghai this year, President Xi Jinping proposed an Asian security concept based on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.Common security means respecting and ensuring the security of each and every country. Comprehensive security means upholding security in both traditional and non-traditional fields. Cooperative security means promoting the security of both individual countries and the region as a whole through dialogue and cooperation. Sustainable security calls for both development and security to make security durable.This security concept is developed from the common security and cooperative security approach long existing in our region. It opens up broad new prospects for security cooperation in Asia. China is both a proponent and practitioner of this Asian security concept. We are ready to work with regional countries to achieve security for all through win-win cooperation.

Second, there needs to be stable bilateral relations. One cannot choose its neighbors, and it is natural that neighbors encounter problems with each other. All parties should uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, accommodate each other’s interests and concerns, and resolve disputes through peaceful means.China has signed treaties of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation with a number of countries including Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Afghanistan and is in discussions with ASEAN on a similar treaty. What these treaties do is to reaffirm the commitment of countries to good-neighborly relations through the force of law to institutionalize stable bilateral relations.

Territorial and maritime disputes bear on countries’ fundamental interests and national feelings, and hence are highly difficult to resolve. We should respect international law and historical facts. Disputes that do not have quick solutions may be shelved and parties can go for joint development. This would be a good way to narrow differences and create conditions for future resolution.

Opting for negotiated settlement by parties directly concerned is a valuable experience gained by China through handling boundary and maritime issues in the past six decades. China has settled boundary issues with 12 out of 14 land neighbors.China and India maintain close communication through the Special Representatives on the Boundary Question. Talks on the boundary issue between China and Bhutan are going smoothly.China and Vietnam have delineated the maritime boundary in the Beibu Bay and are discussing delimitation and joint development in the outer mouth of the Beibu Bay. China and the ROK have agreed to officially launch negotiations on maritime delimitation in 2015.

China and ASEAN countries maintained effective dialogue on the South China Sea issue and made significant headway. We follow the “dual-track” approach, namely, disputes are to be resolved through negotiations by countries directly concerned while peace and stability in the South China Sea is maintained jointly by China and ASEAN countries. This is a realistic and effective way to properly handle the South China Sea issue.Parties should remain committed to fully and effectively implement the DOC and conclude a COC based on consensus at an early date. “Early harvest” for the COC is being discussed. These include the first document on commonalities, and joint maritime search and rescue hotline and senior officials’ hotline for maritime emergencies. China is committed to deepening trust and cooperation and safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea with ASEAN countries.