No country should dominate Asia: Chinese president

Shanghai, May 21 (IANS/EFE) Chinese President Xi Jinping Wednesday called for cooperation in development and security in Asia, adding that "no country should dominate" the continent.

He said this while addressing the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building-Measures in Asia (CICA) that is being attended by over 20 heads of states and governments.

The Chinese president said that Asia "is increasingly becoming a community" that requires better cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism, at the same time "respecting the sovereignty of the member countries".

Among those attending this year's CICA are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rohani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, besides UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon.

In times when his country disputes its maritime sovereignty with neighbours, including Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, the Chinese president pledged his commitment towards "development through peaceful process", referring to China's role in North Korea's denuclearisation negotiations and rehabilitation work in Afghanistan.

Xi also called for the creation of a new "Silk Route" to strengthen cooperation among Asian countries with greater emphasis on economic ties.

Welcoming the two new member countries, Qatar and Bangladesh, the leader proclaimed that "Asia is the most dynamic and promising region of the current world scenario".

Born out of Kazakhstani president's Nursultan Nazarbayev initiative in 1992, CICA is an organisation with 26 member countries and nine observers ranging from Ukraine to Japan, even including the US.

--IANS/EFE

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