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Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong Attends ARF Inter-Sessional Support Group Meeting on Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy

2022-05-17 23:00

On May 17, 2022, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong attended the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Support Group Meeting on Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy and delivered the opening remarks via video link.

Liu Jinsong said, my first job in charge after I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was with the ARF. Great changes have taken place in the regional security situation over the past 28 years, but the ARF's original aspiration, major tasks and priorities remain unchanged, and confidence building measures remain essential. I am glad to see that the ARF has grown steadily and become an important ASEAN-led platform for regional security dialogue and cooperation with rich topics. China has always attached great importance to the role of the ARF and actively participated in practical cooperation in various fields. In recent years, China has hosted nearly 50 cooperation projects and proposed the establishment of security policy meetings and other mechanisms to promote the development of the ARF towards a more comprehensive and pragmatic direction with practical actions.

Liu Jinsong pointed out that, humanity has not yet emerged from the shadow of the pandemic, global economic recovery remains sluggish, the geopolitics and security conflicts are becoming more prominent, and the difficulties and challenges facing global security and development are significantly increasing. How to properly deal with these problems is not only a common topic faced by all countries in the world, but also an arduous task before the ARF. President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Security Initiative at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, calling on all countries to work together to address complex and severe international security challenges and jointly safeguard the hard-won situation of peace and development. The initiative gives China's answer to the questions of what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security. It is a new manifestation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, and highly dovetails with the concepts in the ASEAN Charter, the ARF Vision Statement and the Hanoi Plan of Action II.

Liu Jinsong said, China is willing to work with all members of the ARF to uphold and practice the concept of cooperative security, inject more vitality and impetus into confidence building measures and preventive diplomacy in various fields, and persistently enhance mutual security confidence between all parties; aiming at non-traditional security challenges, deepen cooperation in public health, cyber security, disaster management, counter-terrorism, maritime security and non-proliferation and expand common security interests; continue to promote defense security consultations and exchanges, resolutely prevent regional arms race, adhere to the principle of nuclear non-proliferation, and build a secure regional environment; stay committed to strengthening ASEAN centrality, reject blocs confrontation and unilateral bullying, and build a regional security architecture that meets regional realities, and accommodates the needs and interests of all parties, so as to promote enduring peace and stability in the region.

Liu Jinsong said, as a Southeast Asian proverb goes, "No matter how huge the waves are, they are under the boat; no matter how high the mountains are, they are under people's feet." We need to uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, stay committed to unity and cooperation, and meet each other halfway to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The meeting was co-chaired by China and Cambodia and attended by representatives of ARF members. At the meeting, all parties briefed on this year's progress in practical cooperation in various fields, discussed new initiatives for the year 2022-2023 and exchanged views on the future development direction of the ARF, making preparations in advance for this year's Senior Officials' Meeting.

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