Mr. Chairman and colleagues:

In the past year, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region was generally stable. Countries in the region share increasing common interest and consciousness of cooperation. The dynamic multilateral security dialogue and cooperation mechanisms represented by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) have enhanced trust among countries and played an active role in preparing the countries in the region to meet new security challenges and maintaining regional peace and stability.

However, the unstable and uncertain factors influencing the region still exist. Traditional security problems, regional hot issues, boundary and territorial problems remain to be obstacles to the mutual trust among some countries. Terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and various cross-border crimes threaten peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Such problems as economic deterioration, natural disasters, infectious diseases and energy security impede the development of the region. The different security concepts of countries also add difficulties to the regional security dialogue and cooperation.

Mr. Chairman and colleagues:

Multilateral dialogue and cooperation are the effective ways for countries to cope with challenges and maintain common security.

As the most important official channel for multilateral security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, the ARF plays an important part in building a harmonious regional security environment. In the past year, the forum continued exploring new cooperative ways and fields. With the joint efforts of all parties concerned, the forum convened the intersession meeting on confidence-building measures and preventative diplomacy and resumed the intersession meeting on disaster relief. It initiated a number of trust measures projects in such fields as non-proliferation, anti-terrorism and disaster relief and deepened cooperation. Not long ago the first experts meeting held initial discussions on the security topics including preventative diplomacy. The forum has gradually become an important platform to build mutual trust and cooperation consensus.

It is an important subject to let the forum play a more effective role in maintaining regional security and promoting dialogue and cooperation. The healthy development of the forum must be based on recognizing and respecting the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region and be realized step by step. I would like to propose the following suggestions:

First, building mutual trust and deepening cooperation. Building trust should run throughout the development of the forum. While deepening the existing measures of building trust, it is necessary to strengthen the dialogue between different beliefs and civilizations and expand common consensus at a deeper level based on the regional diversity. On the basis of respecting sovereignty, we can gradually discuss the ways of conducting preventative diplomacy and take tangible steps to build regional security.

Second, maintaining the leadership of ASEAN and encouraging participation. Maintaining the leadership of ASEAN is the key to and guarantee for the healthy development of the forum. The forum should insist on the leadership of ASEAN, follow the pragmatic principles of non-interference into other country's internal affairs, reaching consensus through consultation and taking care of the comfortableness of all parties concerned and gradually increase the role of the chairman. The forum should continue advocating that countries treat each other as equals, coexist in harmony, encourage and support the settlement of frictions and conflicts through dialogue, consultation and negotiations, allow all the members to be fully involved and become the showcase of practicing regional multilateralism.

Third, defining priorities and focusing on real effect. The Asia-Pacific region covers a wide area and has complex security problems. The forum should take its characteristics into account and define priorities. After years of practice, the non-traditional security fields of anti-terrorism, fighting against cross-border crimes and disaster relief have become the cooperation priorities of the forum. More participation of national defense officials in those fields may be encouraged and the direct exchanges among the law enforcement authorities of member states may be increased. The forum has reached a number of consensuses on the cooperation in related non-traditional security fields, and it is necessary to study how to implement those consensuses.

Fourth, focusing on self-development and expanding exchanges steadily. The meeting will adopt a document on strengthening the two-track forum and regional security cooperation mechanism and reinforcing relations between the forum and other international and regional security cooperation organizations. It is helpful for the forum to learn from the security cooperation experiences of other regions. The forum should proceed from the real needs of the region and make the best use of existing mechanisms. To develop the relations with other mechanism, the focus should be put on interacting with each other and complementing with each other's advantages.

Mr. Chairman and colleagues:

China unswervingly follows the road of peaceful development and sincerely pursues the foreign policy of "treating neighbors as friends and partners" and "creating an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood". We seek development through maintaining peace and promote world peace and regional stability through our own development.

China attaches great importance to the forum and actively participates in its activities. This year China co-hosted the seminar on non-proliferation, the intersession meeting on anti-terrorism and fighting against cross-border crimes and the intersession meeting on disaster relief. Next year China will continue to be committed to promoting the cooperation of the forum in non-traditional security fields and host the intersession meeting on disaster relief and the drug control seminar in China.

Mr. Chairman and colleagues:

China is a member of the Asia and Pacific family. We will continue to expand exchanges and cooperation with countries within and outside the region and promote the healthy development of the ARF in the attitude of equality, mutual benefit, openness and tolerance, and work with the international community to maintain the security of Asia and Pacific.

Thank you.