Xi Jinping: China to further friendly relations with neighboring countries

China's neighborhood, full of vigor and vitality, boasts obvious advantages and potentials in development. The region is stable on the whole, and most of the neighboring countries have a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with China, Xi said.

In diplomacy, one must understand the trend of the time, devise strategy and plan carefully, Xi said.

The strategic goal of China's diplomacy with neighboring countries is to serve the cause of national rejuvenation, for which China must consolidate its friendly relations with neighboring countries and make the best use of the strategic opportunities China now has, according to Xi.

We must strive to make our neighbors more friendly in politics, economically more closely tied to us, and we must have deeper security cooperation and closer people-to-people ties, Xi said.

He emphasized that the basic tenet of diplomacy with neighbors is to treat them as friends and partners, to make them feel safe and to help them develop.

Friendship, suggested Xi, is the consistent principle of China's diplomacy with its neighbors and sincerity is the way to cultivate more friends and partners. Cooperation with neighbors should be based on mutual benefit and create a close network of common interests.

Only through better integration of China's interests with neighbors' can they benefit from China's development and China benefit from theirs, Xi said.

Underlining the importance of tolerance, Xi stressed that the Asia and Pacific region is big enough for all countries to develop, and that countries in the region must promote regional cooperation in an opener mind and with greater enthusiasm.

China itself must embrace and practice these idea so that they will become the shared belief and norms of conduct for the whole region, said Xi.

Xi stressed that the Party must deal with issues strategically by making improvements to planning and operational capability, maintaining that great efforts need to be made to safeguard peace and stability in the region.

"The path of peaceful development is the Party's strategic choice, in line the times and the fundamental interests of the country. A major purpose of this diplomacy is peace and stability in the region," Xi said.

Great efforts must be made towards win-win reciprocity, accurately identifying convergence points for cooperation; making use of China's advantages in economy, trade, technology, and finance; and actively taking part in regional economic cooperation, Xi said.h He said China should work with its neighbors to hasten interconnectivity and establish a Silk Road economic belt and a maritime silk road for the 21st century. China should accelerate establishment of free trade zones, with neighbors as the foundation stone, expand trade and investment and create a new pattern of regional economic integration.

He said China should continuously expand regional financial cooperation by playing an active role in establishing an Asian investment bank for infrastructure construction and improving the regional financial safety network.

He urged accelerating opening up of border areas and deepening reciprocal cooperation between Chinese border areas and neighboring countries.

Xi said efforts shall be made to promote regional security cooperation, noting "security cooperation is the common need of all."