China's national conditions make it the central task of the Chinese Government to promote economic and social development and continuous improvement of people's lives. Therefore, China's foreign policy aims to create a peaceful and stable international and neighboring environment so that we can commit ourselves whole-heartedly to development under more favorable external conditions.

China believes that the trend of our times, which features peace and development as the main call, as well as growing global challenges, makes it hard for any country to develop itself behind closed doors or stay immune from troubles. Anyone's survival and development hinges upon the concerted efforts of all to cross the troubled water and pursue shared benefits and success.

China knows deeply from history and its own experience that peaceful development is the right and successful path, a path that serves best China's fundamental interests and the interests of the people in the world. China will not and shall not deviate from this path.

Second, China will stay committed to the policy of good-neighborly and friendly relations with its neighbors and other Asian countries and to the diplomatic guideline of good-neighborly relationship and partnership in the surrounding region.

As the largest country in Asia, China has many close neighbors, in terms of both geography and interests. Stability and development in the region are vital to China's own stability and development. "Family members wish each other well, and so do neighbors." China wishes its neighbors tranquility and opposes any act that undermines regional stability, good-neighborliness and mutual trust. China will work together with other Asian countries to promote dialogue and exchanges, strengthen bonds of interests, consolidate popular and public support for our friendship and create a regional environment where peace, stability, equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation prevail.

ASEAN is an important organization in our region. China always takes ASEAN and its member countries as reliable brothers, partners and neighbors. China hails greater unity, stability and development of ASEAN and supports its more active role in regional and international affairs. We also appreciate ASEAN's support and assistance to us in many areas. The comprehensive establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area earlier this year is a milestone in our relations, fully demonstrating the vigor and vitality of our strategic partnership. China and ASEAN have taken concrete steps to advance their cooperation on inter-connectivity, agriculture, education, poverty reduction, the environment and other fields. Our cooperation in the defense and non-traditional security fields enjoy good momentum of development, creating new highlights in our strategic partnership. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the dialogue partnership between China and ASEAN. This will be another great opportunity to strengthen our relations.

East Asia cooperation is at an important stage of development. China is always open and inclusive toward different initiatives for East Asia cooperation. We believe that East Asia cooperation should reflect regional diversity. Countries involved should stay committed to consensus building, adopt a gradual approach, handle easier issues before moving on to more difficult ones, accommodate the comfort level of each other, and keep a good pace in the cooperation in order to reduce resistance. We also believe that existing mechanisms should serve as the platform while different mechanisms may complement each other and move forward together. No single mechanism should blanket or replace the others. At the same time, there should be active exploration of new models of cooperation so that countries can work together to promote regional peace and development. I'd like to stress that ASEAN, as the initiator of East Asia cooperation, should remain in the driving seat of regional cooperation and maintain its central role.

The area of the South China Sea remains stable on the whole despite some disrupting factors. It serves the common interests of China, ASEAN and countries in this region to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea, prevent the widening and complication of the issue, and avoid regional conflict and tension. China is committed to upholding stability of the South China Sea. We stand ready to continue to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with countries concerned to allow parties to the matter settle the dispute peacefully through bilateral friendly consultations. Pending the resolution of the dispute, differences may be shelved and joint development be conducted. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) needs to be followed in good faith to create mutual trust between countries concerned and favorable conditions and atmosphere for the ultimate settlement of bilateral disputes. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the security of international shipping routes and freedom of passage in the South China Sea, and ensures legitimate freedom of navigation and overflight of other countries in the South China Sea according to international law. I believe, through concerted efforts of countries concerned, the South China Sea can, by all means, be a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

South Asia and Central Asia are undergoing profound adjustments and complex changes. It is the central task for South and Central Asian countries and the common aspiration of the international community to uphold peace and stability, eliminate poverty and promote development. Instead of maintaining or seeking any selfish interests in South and Central Asia, China is committed to good-neighborly relations and cooperation with all South and Central Asian countries. None of China's relations with a South or Central Asian country is targeted at a third country, nor will it threaten anyone. We welcome any effort that promotes political and social stability, ethnic harmony, and economic development in South and Central Asia, and will continue to work with other members of the international community to strengthen dialogue, coordination and cooperation and play a constructive role for peace, stability and development in South and Central Asia.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has a direct bearing on peace and stability in Northeast Asia and, by extension, in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. Although the recent Cheonan incident, which compounded the situation on the Peninsula, has been properly handled in the UN Security Council and achieved soft landing thanks to the concerted efforts by all parties concerned, the situation on the Peninsula remains complex and sensitive. China believes that ultimately, the issue of the Korean Peninsula can only be solved peacefully and China opposes any move to create tension on the Peninsula or in the region. We will continue our close communication and coordination with the relevant parties. We sincerely hope that all parties concerned will adopt a long-term perspective, turn the page on the Cheonan incident, and actively create conditions to move forward the Six-Party Talks in an effort to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, uphold its peace and stability and achieve enduring peace and stability in the region.

Third, China has always taken a strategic and long-term approach to China-U.S. relations and is firmly committed to acting in the larger interests of the bilateral relations to promote long-term, sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations.

As the biggest developing country and the biggest developed country in the world, China and the United States share growing common interests, challenges and responsibilities amid major changes and adjustments in the international situation. China-U.S. relations have increasingly gone beyond the bilateral scope and assumed greater global and strategic significance. Although problems and disagreements are hardly avoidable between China and the United States given their differences in social system, history and culture and level of development, it is important that the two countries handle the differences properly on the basis of equality and mutual respect. More than 30 years of diplomatic ties show that despite a bumpy journey with various obstacles and even twists and turns along the way, China-U.S. relations have, on the whole, moved forward, and cooperation has become the main stream in China-U.S. relations. This is ample proof that for China and the United States cooperation is better than containment, dialogue is better than confrontation and partnership is better than rivalry.

After the current U.S. administration took office, President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama reached agreement on building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-U.S. relationship for the 21st century. Bilateral communication and exchange mechanisms such as the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues have been working effectively, and the two countries have maintained close coordination and cooperation in response to the international financial crisis. We believe that China and the United States can continue to push forward the bilateral relationship along the positive, cooperative and comprehensive track as long as the two countries earnestly execute the agreement of the two presidents, and, by having candid dialogues, building trust, seeking common ground while shelving differences and cooperating for win-win results, sustain close exchanges at the top and other levels, deepen pragmatic cooperation in all fields, strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, respect each others' core interests and major concerns and handle differences and sensitive issues properly.

China and the United States are both Asia-Pacific countries and their relations concern peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a fact that the United States has broad interests in Asia. We welcome a constructive role of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and its positive contribution to peace and stability in the region. China and the United States have good cooperation within relevant regional mechanisms. We are ready to continue and strengthen communication and consultation with the United States on regional issues. We believe that all countries should abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum thinking and encourage benign interactions and win-win cooperation in the region rather than vicious competition and infighting to build a harmonious Asia, a harmonious Asia-Pacific region and a harmonious world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We now stand at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. Let's join hands, share development opportunities, meet various challenges together and make unremitting efforts for greater democracy and equality in international relations, enhanced justice and fairness in the international system and a more peaceful and stable world of greater development and prosperity.

Finally, I wish the Singapore Global Dialogue success!

Thank you.

Source: www.fmprc.gov.cn