Wang Yi: China Will Provide Three Important Opportunities for Neighbouring Countries

On January 16, 2014, when jointly meeting the press after his talks in Beijing with visiting Foreign Minister Luvsanvandan Bold of Mongolia, Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out that in 2014, China will bring its neighboring countries and even the whole region three important opportunities of "China's reform", "China's initiative", and "China's hosting".

Wang Yi said, China is the country with the largest number of neighbouring countries in the world. We always attach great importance to friendly relations with neighbouring countries and always regard it as the priority for China's foreign policy. Last year, we held for the first time the seminar on China's relations with neighbouring countries. President Xi Jinping, on the basis of the policy of good-neighborly friendship, brought forward the important concept of intimacy, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. It sent out a strong message that China will be more sincere and more inclusive in its relations with the neighbouring countries. China is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to keep on strengthening mutual trust and friendly feelings with neighboring countries and bringing tangible benefits to the neighbouring countries and peoples. China owns the will, the ability, and the confidence to open up a new chapter of good-neighborly friendship with the neighbouring countries.

Wang Yi said that, whether for China's diplomacy or for China's own development, 2014 will again be an extraordinary year. China will bring the neighboring countries and even the whole region three important opportunities:

The first is the opportunity of China's reform. Over the past 30 plus years, while creating its own development miracles, China's reform and opening-up also have contributed greatly to the development of Asia's economy. In 2014, China will launch a new round of comprehensive reforms. The transformation of China's economy and exploitation of its market potential will bring new opportunities to the world, and the neighbouring countries will be the first benefited. A good neighbor is better than a brother far off. We expect that China's friendly neighbours will be the first passengers on board of the express train of the new round of China's reform and development.

The second is the opportunity of China's initiative. Last year, China's new leadership, from the perspective of the long-term and common development of the region, proposed a series of new initiatives, such as building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road, the China-India-Myanmar-Bangladesh (CIMB) Economic Corridor, the updated version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the China-ASEAN "2+7" cooperation framework, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and so on. Since the beginning of this year, with these initiatives gradually implemented and pushed forward, it will certainly inject continuous strong impetus to the economic development of the countries in the region.

The third is the opportunity of China's hosting. In 2014, China will host two major summits, namely, the APEC summit and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. As the host country, we will conform to the expectations of all parties involved to play a positive role in economic development and security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, to assume our due responsibilities, and to make our new contributions.

Wang Yi noted that, by the way, due to historical reasons, China still has some disputes and problems with some of its neighbors. On the basis of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, China will continue to handle them through consultations and dialogues with goodwill and candid attitude. At the same time, on other hot-spot regional issues concerning nuclear on Korean Peninsular and Afghanistan, China is also willing to continue its constructive role, and make new efforts to maintain regional peace and stability.

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