Four-point proposal

At the symposium on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi relayed Xi's message and showed the audience a copy of the policy paper titled "Outlook on China's Foreign Policy on its Neighborhood in the New Era".

Wang Dong, a professor and executive director of the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding at Peking University, said Xi's message and the policy paper sent a very important signal that fostering bonds for common interests and building a community of a shared future in the neighborhood are a priority of China's diplomacy and are of "great strategic importance".

"Today marks a new starting point for our neighborhood diplomacy to set sail toward building a better common homeland in Asia, and this is something that requires more joint efforts by China and its neighbors," he said.

On behalf of Beijing, Wang Yi made a four-point proposal calling on Asian neighbors to jointly make the region a role model in building the Belt and Road, a pioneer in realizing the Global Development Initiative, a pilot area for the Global Security Initiative and an example for the Global Civilization Initiative.

In terms of trade, he proposed to strive to complete negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area before the end of next year.

Regarding Asia's common security, the foreign minister stressed the need for countries to "oppose interference by external forces in the internal affairs of regional countries" and "never allow the tragedy of geopolitical conflicts to be staged in our region".

Furthermore, "with regard to disputes left over from history, China is willing to seek fair and reasonable solutions through consultation and negotiation", Wang said.

Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, echoed Xi's view that "the world is faced with changes unseen in a century", and said that geopolitical tensions are the main element of global challenges.

He called on countries to "move away from the shadow of conflict and embrace dialogue", and "make 'amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness' guide us toward founding a brighter and more harmonious future for all".

Chen Bo, president of the China Institute of International Studies, underlined the need to examine further and gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical value of practicing the concept of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness".

"At present, the evolution of changes in the world is accelerating. This features both the dangers of division and confrontation as well as opportunities for unity and cooperation," she said.