China will unswervingly safeguard peace and stability, adhere to the principles of the UN Charter, and resolutely reject any attempt to introduce confrontation between military blocs and camps to the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

He made the remarks virtually by video link at the opening ceremony of the 78th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which kicked off on Monday at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok.

Calling on nations to join hands in building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, Wang said the peace and prosperity in Asia-Pacific not only correlate to the destiny of the region, but also the future of the world. “The Asia-Pacific concept should not be diluted, and the Asia-Pacific cooperation should not be disturbed,” Wang said, noting the region has gained a more prominent role in the global structure now.

“We should adhere to peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultation, support all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful resolution of crises, and oppose all words and deeds that exaggerate tensions and provoke confrontation in the region,” Wang said.

He underscored China’s determination in making greater contribution to the long-term stability and sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region. 

Nations should make concerted efforts to promote economic development, promote the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, build an open Asia-Pacific economy, and bring more “Asia-Pacific opportunities” for the recovery and growth of the world economy by complementing each other’s advantages to achieve win-win cooperation.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao earlier expressed China’s resolute commitment to achieving a comprehensive and high-level Asia-Pacific free trade area, while making a speech at the 28th trade ministers’ meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) during the weekend.

The Chinese commerce minister reiterated that China will open its door wider and is continuously providing a driving force for the stable growth of global and regional economies.

In 2021, Asian economic growth rebounded strongly with economies in the region gaining GDP growth rate of 6.3 percent, and their proportion of the total economic volume in the world has increased to 47.4 percent, remaining an important engine of global economic growth during the pandemic, according to a recent report released by Boao Forum for Asia.

Global Times