The Silk Road has been known for its overland and maritime routes since ancient times. The two routes complemented each other, adding a brilliant chapter to the annals of human civilization.

The ancient maritime Silk Road was opened and operated by the people of Asia, Europe and Africa. For hundreds of years, a large number of ports thrived along the coastlines on the West Pacific, the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. Calling on these ports were not only ships carrying silk, but also those loaded with porcelain, ironware, spices, precious stones and books. Crew and passengers included Chinese, Europeans, people from Southeast and South Asia, Arabs and Africans, who came to each other's aid readily as travellers in the same boat.

In 2013, President Xi Jinping put forward the major "Belt and Road" initiative. Countries and people along the route have applauded it. We all agree to make the building of a community of common destiny for win-win cooperation the goal of our endeavor. And we all agree to move forward the building of overland and maritime silk roads in tandem.

Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is the continuation and development of the ancient maritime Silk Road. What we want to continue pushing forward is the Silk Road spirit featuring peace, friendship, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit.

We want to properly design cooperation pivots and economic corridors on the sea for all-round maritime cooperation in this age of economic globalization and multi-polarity. While upholding its own maritime rights and interests, China stands ready to work together with other countries to build maritime partnerships of win-win cooperation.

Thanks to the joint efforts of China and some other countries in the past year and more, the building of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road has made steady headway and entered a new stage of practical cooperation. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road foresees an extensive and open-ended coverage. Linking European and Asia-Pacific economic rims across four oceans, the Road focuses on the Southeast Asian countries, connects South Asia, West Asia and some African and European countries and naturally extends to the South Pacific. All countries around the world, international organizations, multinational corporations, NGOs and all ocean-loving people from various sectors can join and play a constructive part in its development.

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will present a rich and colorful program of cooperation. In addition to maritime transport and resource development, it will involve research, environmental protection, tourism, disaster reduction and prevention, law enforcement cooperation and people-to-people exchanges on the sea. It will not only look at the development of the blue economy and building of oceanic economic demonstration zones offshore, it will also build onshore industrial parks, marine science and technology parks and training bases for ocean-related personnel.

We will not only utilize the oceanic resources, we will also protect our oceanic environment. We should not only deliver a good life to our people along the coast, we should also bring about an interconnected development of the hinterland and coastal regions to achieve common prosperity.

As for how to advance the development of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, China is ready to listen to suggestions and proposals from other countries, ASEAN countries included. We bear in our mind three key terms.

The first is "mutual trust." Asia on the whole enjoys stability with relations between countries growing steadily. Of course, there is the need for some neighbors to further enhance trust and dispel misgivings. Asian countries enjoy bright prospects for win-win cooperation.

The second is "connectivity." Countries along the Belt and Road differ in national conditions and vary greatly in level of maritime development and protection. It is neither realistic nor advisable to measure them against the same set of ideas, plans and model of cooperation.

One of the original features of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is its much stressed connectivity. It is not about one party accepting the plan made by another or one party following the rules set by another.

The third term is "early harvest." Only when countries along the route reap the benefit from the development of the Maritime Silk Road at an early date will they become more enthusiastically involved. China hopes to work with countries along the route in identifying some showcase projects, getting them started once conditions are ripe so that results can be gained at an early date.

This is the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation. China and ASEAN countries will carry out practical cooperation on marine economy, maritime connectivity, marine science research and environmental protection, safety and security, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges on the sea.

We hope that maritime cooperation will become a new engine for the growing China-ASEAN relations and the all-dimensional maritime cooperation between China and ASEAN will become a model for the development of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The author is Chinese State Councilor. The article is an excerpt of his speech at the session of "Jointly Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" and launching of the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation on Saturday. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn