The 18th Party congress report called for building China into a strong maritime country. This is in recognition of the fact that besides being a continental country, China is also a maritime nation having 18,000 km long coastal line and eight neighbors across the sea.

Strengthening maritime development is a natural part of China's economic and social development. It means that China will seek to better utilize maritime resources, promote the growth of the maritime economy and ecological progress for the benefit of the people of China and the region.

The seas have served as a link between China and its neighbors for centuries. General Zheng He's ocean voyages back in the 15th century set an example of friendly maritime interaction that was a far cry from the colonial expansions of Western powers.

Ever growing links of trade between China and the rest of the world, much of which are through the sea lanes of this region, have made it all the more important that China should seek to build closer maritime links with its neighbors.

Maritime cooperation between China and its neighbors is already in progress. We established maritime consultations with India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. We set up a China-ASEAN maritime cooperation fund to the value of 3 billion yuan to support our cooperation in such areas as scientific research, marine ecological protection and sea transport security.

Nonetheless, due to the complexity of the past evolutions, there exist some maritime disputes that can be an area of contention between China and its neighbors.

In the larger interest of peace, stability and prosperity in the region, our principled approach to addressing maritime disputes has been to respect historical facts, abide by international law and seek to resolve them through dialogue and negotiations with countries directly concerned.

For such purposes, China proposed "shelving disputes and going for common development" back in the 1970s and 1980s, which has been the policy direction we consistently followed.

We signed the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea with ASEAN countries in 2002, which has since provided an important platform for dialogue and cooperation and for promoting peace and stability in the South China Sea.

We also take an open attitude to the formulation of a code of conduct in the South China Sea as was provided for in the DOC and are working with our ASEAN partners on how to proceed with it while ensuring true implementation of the DOC. We are engaged in an active dialogue with ASEAN countries to accumulate consensus and create conditions for drawing up the code of conduct.

The 18th Party congress reiterated China's commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes and opposition to the use or threat of force. As a major country in the region, China is fully aware of its responsibilities for regional peace and stability.

We have maintained restraint in addressing maritime disputes and sought to work with our neighbors toward mutually acceptable solutions through peaceful dialogue and negotiations.

At the same time, the Chinese government must be able to protect China's rights and interests in the sea, which is also the wish of its people. Proper handling of the disputes requires common efforts of all parties involved.

We are opposed to any acts of provocation that infringe on China's sovereignty and territory and cannot but respond firmly when they occur. That is also necessary in order to keep lasting peace in the region.

We remain committed to working with our neighbors on the basis of mutual respect to build our surrounding seas into bonds of peace, friendship and cooperation. We owe it to our peoples and to the world.