China wants mutual trust and benefit
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Q: A few burning issues around China have been drawing much attention. Being a major country in the region, what has China done to maintain regional peace and stability?
A: The security environment around China is very complicated, with traditional and nontraditional security challenges intertwined. China believes that the old security concept and security logic defined by alignment, strength, deterrence and power should be rejected in the region. And a new security concept should be established with mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination at its core. The new concept recognizes, respects and rises above national differences in terms of ideology, values, social systems and stages of development. China has been doing what it says. It has played an active and constructive role in addressing burning issues. It has made dedicated efforts to seek peaceful resolution of disputes over territory, territorial sea and maritime rights and interests through friendly negotiations.
The overall situation in the South China Sea is stable, although there are some disturbances. To maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and serve the common interests of China and other countries in the region, it is important to refrain from expanding, complicating or internationalizing the disputes and thus avoiding conflicts and tension. We believe that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully through bilateral negotiations between the parties directly involved.
Pending a solution, we can shelve the disputes and engage in joint development. We are ready to work with the parties concerned to follow through with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, build mutual trust and promote cooperation. The parties to the disputes have agreed on a host of important principles to peacefully resolve the disputes. The channels of dialogue and consultation between the parities are open and unfettered. The parties are wise and capable of resolving their issues on their own. And some parties to the disputes share the view that forces from outside the region should not be involved in the disputes.
The freedom and safety of navigation in the South China Sea, which has one of the world's busiest international shipping lanes, has never been compromised by the disputes. It has never been an issue. China has placed high importance on the freedom and security of navigation in the South China Sea, and has always said that freedom of navigation should be guaranteed in the South China Sea. We will continue to actively engage in maritime security cooperation in the region.
Being adjacent to the Korean Peninsula, China has followed closely the development of the situation there and made persistent efforts to encourage the parties concerned to meet each other half way and improve their relations to uphold peace and stability in Northeast Asia. The once tense situation on the peninsula seems to have relaxed recently. The parties have had useful contacts and discussions on the resumption of the Six-Party Talks and other matters. In fact, they are willing to restart the Six-Party Talks to try and improve their relations and take the denuclearization process forward. We welcome this development.
We are of the view that addressing the concerns of various parties in a balanced manner and setting up a Northeast Asia peace and security mechanism through the Six-Party Talks will reduce problems and disputes in the region and contribute to enduring peace on the peninsula and in Northeast Asia and ultimately lead to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. China will continue to work with the five other parities and the international community, and play a constructive role in the denuclearization of the peninsula and upholding peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
Q: China and its neighbors have cordial people-to-people ties and cultural similarities. What has China done in recent years to promote social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with other Asian countries? What are the achievements?
A: China enjoys an enduring and strong historical and cultural bond with other Asian countries. It shares linguistic and cultural roots and has cultural similarities with some Asian nations. Such conditions have laid a solid basis for China to carry out social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation with its neighboring countries at the right time.
Since China advocates an open and inclusive concept of civilization, it believes that it is important to vigorously facilitate social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges among Asian nations on the basis of fully respecting their cultures and traditions, social and political systems and paths of economic development. This will further enhance understanding, friendship and mutual trust between the peoples of China and its neighboring countries. It will consolidate public support for friendly relations between China and its neighbors, too.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and its neighboring countries have been most robust in recent years through broader and more substantive cooperation on a larger scale. More and more people are traveling between China and other Asian countries. Last year, Chinese immigration authorities registered about 21.6898 million inbound and outbound visits by people from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia alone. Apart from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Asian countries are the most popular overseas tourist destinations for Chinese mainland residents. And Japan and the ROK were the two largest sources of foreign visitors to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
In 2009, more than 160,000 students from other Asian countries came to study in China. Eight of China's neighbors are among its top 10 overseas sources of students. We place great importance on enhanced youth exchanges among Asian countries and have established annual youth exchange mechanisms with Japan, India, Vietnam, Mongolia and Pakistan.
We have set up more than 100 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in Asia and Chinese Cultural Centers in the ROK, Japan and Mongolia. "Happy Spring Festival", "China-Thailand Affinity" Gala, "Asian Arts Festival" and other Chinese cultural exchange programs have been well-received by people in neighboring countries. We value media exchanges and cooperation with other Asian countries. Regional information ministers' conferences and high-level forums on broadcasting and television have been held regularly. We encourage exchanges and visits between media organizations of China and other Asian nations to increase media coverage about each other and enhance mutual understanding.
China has actively trained all kinds of professionals from other developing countries in Asia. In the past few years, more than 14,000 professionals from 10 ASEAN member states have received training in more than 10 areas, including economy, trade, telecommunications, agriculture and finance. The programs have been financed by the Special Fund for Asia Cooperation, ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund and some foreign assistance funds.
Mutual trust is essential for strong state-to-state relations. The public is the foundation of good-neighborly ties. China will always work with its neighbors to have more cultural, tourist, educational and youth exchanges and cooperation, and further deepen mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples to garner support for good-neighborly ties.
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