BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- As a responsible country, China has been active in resolving hot regional issues, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said here on Sunday.
Liu said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that China advocated a new security concept of mutual trust, reciprocity, equality and coordination, and endeavored to join hands with other Asian countries to create a regional environment featuring peace, stability, equality, mutual trust, cooperation and win-win resolutions.
On the South China Sea issue, Liu said the overall situation is "peaceful and stable," and China always stands for using negotiations to peacefully resolve disputes over the sovereignty of some islands in the South China Sea and the demarcation of parts of the sea. "This is also the consensus of relevant countries," he said.
Liu stressed that relevant countries should put aside disputes and conduct common development before the disputes are resolved. Forces outside of the region should not intervene in South China Sea disputes.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 2011 adopted an agreement on the guidelines of implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), starting substantial cooperation under the DOC framework. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also proposed establishing a three-billion-yuan (476 million U.S. dollars) China-ASEAN maritime cooperation fund at the 14th China-ASEAN summit and the Commemorative Summit to Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Relations in November, Liu said.
China signed an agreement with Vietnam on the basic principles guiding the settlement of existing maritime issues between the two countries. It also established a joint committee on maritime cooperation and a maritime cooperation fund with Indonesia, he said.
"This all proves that China and the ASEAN have the resolve, wisdom and capability to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea," the assistant foreign minister said.
He reaffirmed that the South China Sea is an important international transportation channel. The safety and freedom of navigating the South China Sea are never affected by disputes.
Liu stressed that China attaches great importance to free and safe sailing on the South China Sea, and also actively maintains and plays a constructive role in the sea. China and the ASEAN also held a seminar in this regard and reached broad consensus.
On the Korean nuclear issue, Liu said China always attaches great importance to the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and stands for a peaceful resolution through dialogues and negotiations.
He also spoke highly of the efforts made by all relevant parties in 2011, saying they conducted more interactions regarding the recommencement of the six-party talks and made efforts to ease the situation on the peninsula.
Liu reiterated China's stance that the six-party talks are an effective mechanism for realizing denuclearization on the peninsula as well as for maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and in northeast Asia. It is also a major platform for improving relations between relevant parties. It is in the common interests of all sides to keep this mechanism, he said.
The assistant foreign minister called on all sides to maintain confidence and keep dialogue and contact.
China, which holds presidency over the talks, will continue to promote negotiations and dialogues, and work with all relevant sides to push forward the process of the talks and play a constructive role in realizing long-term peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia, Liu said.