Xi proposes security concept for Asia

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security strategy for Asia.

Delivering the keynote speech at the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai on Wednesday morning, Xi made the proposal.

Asia has come to a crucial stage in security cooperation. With 67 percent of the world's population and one third of the global economy, the region needs to build on the past achievements and strive for new progress, he said.

"We need to innovate in our security concept, establish a new regional security cooperation architecture, and jointly build a shared, win-win road for Asian security," Xi said.

NO COLD-WAR MENTALITY

One cannot live in the 21st century with the outdated thinking of Cold War and zero-sum games, Xi said: "No country should seek absolute security of itself at the expense of others... We cannot just have security for one or a few countries while leaving the rest insecure.

"A military alliance which is targeted at a third party is not conducive to common regional security."

He called for equal security for every Asian country, saying that each has an equal right to participate in regional security affairs and equal responsibility to uphold security.

"No country should attempt to dominate or infringe upon the rights and interests of other countries," he said.

Xi went on to say that diversity and differences should be turned into energy and a driving force for security cooperation.

"We should abide by the basic norms governing international relations, such as respecting sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity; non-interference in internal affairs; respect social systems and chosen development paths," he said.