China to boost ties with neighbours in new year

China today promised to be more proactive in pursuing friendly policies towards neighbours in 2015 and welcomed the constructive role by major powers in Asian affairs.
Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao said China will work on establishing a network of partnership with its neighbours.
"China will be even more proactive in pursuing a friendly and good-neighbourly policy toward its neighbouring countries in the new year," he said.
The country will strive to benefit neighbours through its own development and do more that brings people in the region closer to each other, he said in an interview with the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Liu said the Silk Road initiatives that China put forward in 2013 does not seek dominance in regional affairs or sphere of influence.
As compared with the Marshall Plan which contained additional requirements for the receiving countries, China's Belt and Road initiatives does not interfere in the internal affairs of the countries in the region, Liu said.

He said the proposal is compatible with existing regional mechanism and proposals and open to all other countries and regions in the world.
"It is open not only in terms of the participation of other countries and regions, but also in terms of cooperative areas and projects," Liu said.

Liu said China has always held that Asia's prosperity and stability depends both on cooperation of Asian countries and on an open regionalism plus constructive involvement of outside countries.
He said the common interests of China and the United States are mainly in Asia, while their contradictions and differences also mainly concern Asia.
"To build a new type of major country relationship between China and the United States starting from Asia is an unprecedented cause," Liu said, adding that it requires both sides to think profoundly, act carefully, march toward the same goal and respect the interests and concern of each other.

He said the two sides should steadily advance the development of a pattern of positive interaction and cooperation in Asia.
Liu said China and Russia have seen continuous expansion of common interests and cooperative areas in the Asia Pacific region.
"The Chinese side is willing to see major powers play a constructive role in Asian affairs," Liu said.
Liu said China will lift its strategic partnership with ASEAN to a new stage and further cooperation of mutual benefits with south Asian nations.