Wang Yi calls on CICA to establish Asian community for mutually beneficial growth

China will strengthen unity and cooperation with members of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia to jointly create a new form of Asian civilization characterized by win-win development, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Seventh Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CICA held by Kazakhstan via video link, Wang called on the CICA to forge an Asian community with a shared future and expand new opportunities for win-win development.

China's development has injected strong momentum into the development of the region and Chinese modernization will bring more opportunities to Asian countries, Wang said.

He called for joint Belt and Road cooperation by consolidating cooperation in traditional fields and expanding collaboration in emerging sectors to collectively build a prosperous Asia.

Noting ensuring security, promoting development, seeking cooperation and achieving win-win outcomes are the urgent aspirations of the vast majority of countries, Wang expressed the belief that CICA can play a unique role in this regard.

Wang called for adherence to peaceful coexistence and the pursuit of common security, while urging members of the CICA to uphold multilateralism and reject the Cold War mentality and hegemony so as to build a harmonious Asia.

He underlined the need to champion Asian values featuring peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration to promote exchanges and mutual learning among diverse civilizations.

All parties believed that confronted with a complex and ever-changing international situation, CICA member states should strengthen unity and mutual trust, deepen strategic cooperation and work together with the Global South to address global challenges.

The parties also explored how to better align with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, to enrich cultural and people-to-people exchanges and enhance mutual understanding among countries.

Founded in 1992, the CICA focuses on implementing confidence-building measures, promoting dialogue and enhancing cooperation in the region.

Currently, it has 28 member states and 15 observer countries or organizations.
As a founding member of the CICA, China assumed the chairmanship for two terms and has consistently supported the development of CICA.

Being a founding member and also longest-serving chair of CICA, Kazakhstan at the meeting handed over chairmanship to Azerbaijan for the 2024-2026 term.