The issue of security impacts the well-being of people in all countries, the noble cause of world peace and development, and the future of humanity. This is an era rife with challenges. It is also one brimming with hope. We firmly believe historical peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation trends are unstoppable.
No matter how the world changes, China remains a committed builder of world peace. Since the founding of P.R. China, the country has pursued an independent foreign policy of peace and adhered to the path of peaceful development. It never started a war, never occupied an inch of foreign land, never engaged in proxy wars, and never participated in or organized any military bloc. China became the world's second-largest economy neither by receiving alms nor engaging in military expansion or colonial plunder. Instead, it has developed through its people’s hard work and peace efforts. China is the only country in the world that has enshrined the path of peaceful development in its constitution and is the only nuclear power that has committed to not using nuclear weapons first.
China is a pillar in maintaining world peace. It remains a firm defender of the international order. China firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the United Nations’ (UN) Charter. It is the second largest contributor to the UN’s regular budget and peacekeeping assessment, and the largest contributor of peacekeeping troops among the Security Council’s permanent members. China has dispatched more than 100 naval vessels in 45 task forces to the Gulf of Aden and waters off the coast of Somalia to provide escort for over 7,000 Chinese and foreign ships. China has signed or acceded to over 20 multilateral arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation treaties.
Decades ago, China together with India and Myanmar, advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence which have become important norms in modern international relations. These principles have been written into China's Constitution long before. Eleven years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping propounded the idea of building a global community with shared futures. Two years ago, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), urging countries to work together in solidarity to address the interconnected security challenges with a win-win mindset. Last year, China officially released The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper. China upholds the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and advocates a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win over zero-sum.
The more China develops, the more it will contribute to world peace. On Sept. 5, at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping announced that China is ready to build a partnership with Africa to implement the GSI and promote stability and peace. China will give Africa RMB1 billion yuan in grants for military assistance. It will also offer training to 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers from Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China.
China is a force for stability in addressing hotspot issues. China neither fuels the flames, nor sits idly, makes war profits or seek personal gain. With China's active mediation, a historic reconciliation was reached between Saudi Arabia and Iran, setting off a wave of reconciliation across the Middle East. In July, senior representatives of 14 Palestinian factions held reconciliation talks in Beijing and signed the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity. China has also pushed for the adoption of the first UN Security Council resolution on the Israel-Palestine conflict since its outbreak. In response to the Ukraine crisis, President Xi Jinping had in-depth exchanges with leaders of various countries including Russia and Ukraine. China also published its position paper on the matter, and its special envoy traveled intensively to mediate among different parties to pave the way for peace talks.
Both history and reality tell us that peace and stability are the common aspirations of the Asian people. They represent the largest consensus of Asian countries and the basic prerequisite for Asia's development. China is committed to handling disputes with relevant countries over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests through negotiation and consultation. It has peacefully resolved land boundary issues with 12 of its 14 neighbors along its land borders through negotiation and consultation and delimited the maritime boundary in Beibu Bay with Vietnam.
To safeguard neighborhood friendliness and regional cooperation, China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) with ASEAN countries and has consistently and effectively implemented it. At the same time, China insists on managing differences properly through dialogue and consultation with the parties involved. China and ASEAN countries are advancing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, actively conducting practical maritime cooperation, and jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Peace and security are like sunshine and rain; they are often taken for granted, but no one can live without them. We should follow the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. We must reject the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation. We must oppose power politics and hegemonic acts. We must always keep in our own hands the future of lasting peace and security in Asia. China stands ready to collaborate with all nations and peoples who love peace, to address global security issues and jointly create a better future for Asia and the world.