No one should be allowed to throw Asia into chaos, warns Xi

Attacking North Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that no one should be allowed to create chaos for selfish gains and asked all nations to contribute their share in maintaining peace.

Beijing: In a veiled criticism of its long-time ally North Korea, new Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday warned that no one should be allowed to create chaos for selfish gains and asked all nations to contribute their share in maintaining peace. Responding to regional worries over North Korea`s bellicose threats, Xi said, "No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains."

"While pursuing its own interests, a country should accommodate the legitimate interests of others," Xi said without naming any country. "Peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it. But none of us can live without them," he said. "Countries, whether big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, should all contribute their share to maintain and enhancing peace. Rather than undercutting each other`s efforts, countries should complement each other and work for joint progress," Xi said. Xi`s made these comments in his speech at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) attended by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and nine other heads of government, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot and over 1500 business leaders, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Xi`s statement came in the backdrop of heightened tension in the Korean Peninsula after China`s close ally Pyongyang increased war preparedness threatening nuclear war following a joint war games by the US and South Korea. Earlier Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi told the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that China would not allow "trouble-making" at its doorstep by any party. US is pressuring China to act tough against North Korea. Chinese officials believe that North Korea`s new ruler Kim Jong Un is drifting from China`s influence ever since he succeeded his father in 2011. Xi`s call for stability in Asia also comes in the backdrop of maritime disputes between China and Japan over islands and China and South East Asian countries over South China Sea besides border dispute with India. Xi said while China safeguards its sovereignty and territorial interests, it would also work for peace and stability in the region. In his speech, Xi mainly focussed on Asian solidarity and importance of peace which should be preserved not letting the disputes come in the way. "Stability in Asia now faces new challenges, as hotspot issues keep emerging, and both traditional and non-traditional security threats exist," he said In his wide ranging address focussing on China and Asia after taking over as President last month," Xi said. He said the Asian countries need to increase mutual trust and work together to ensure durable peace and stability in the region. "Asia needs to enhance mutual understanding, build consensus, and enrich and deepen cooperation so as to strike a balance among the interests of various parties and build mechanisms that bring benefits to all," Xi said in a nationally televised address. The international community should advocate the vision of comprehensive security, common security and cooperative security so as to turn the global village into a big stage for common development, "rather than an arena where gladiators fight each other," he said. On the importance to peace to China, he said his country cannot develop itself in isolation. "China cannot develop itself in isolation from the rest of Asia and the world. On their part, the rest of Asia and the world cannot enjoy prosperity and stability without China," he said. China is an important member of the Asian family and the global family, he said highlighting the blue print drawn last year`s conference of the ruling Communist Party of China for China`s development in the years to come. The main goals for China included By 2020, China`s GDP and per capita incomes for urban and rural residents will double the 2010 figures, and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects will be completed, Xi said. By the mid-21st century, China will be turned into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious; and the Chinese dream, namely, the greatest renewal of the Chinese nation, will be realised. "Looking ahead, we are full of confidence in China`s future," he said. On the other hand, China remains the world`s largest developing country, and it faces many difficulties and challenges on its road to progress. "We need to make relentless efforts in the years ahead to deliver a better life to all our people. We are unwaveringly committed to reform and opening up, and we will concentrate on the major task of shifting the growth model, focus on running our own affairs well and make continued efforts to boost the socialist modernisation drive," he said. With growing interaction among countries, it is inevitable that they encounter frictions here and there. What is important is that they should resolve differences through dialogue, consultation and peaceful negotiations in larger interest of sound growth of their relations, he said. He also said Asia should transform development model as it major growth engine for the world economy. Asia has emerged as an important engine driving world economic recovery and growth, contributing to over 50 percent of global growth in recent years and instilling much needed confidence in the world, Xi said. What`s more Asia`s cooperation with other regions of the world at regional and sub-regional levels has great vitality and promising prospects. However, Asia needs to transform and upgrade its development model in keeping with the trend of the times, he said. "It is important that we should shift the growth model, adjust the economic structure, make development more cost effective and make life better for our people," he said. Sustaining development is still of paramount importance to Asia, because only development holds the key to solving major problems and difficulties it faces, Xi said. PTI