Wei Fenghe attends ARF security policies conference

 29 May, 2012(PLA Daily)
（Editor：燕勐、马茜)

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Conference on Security Policies was held on May 25, 2012 in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Wei Fenghe, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), led a delegation to attend the conference.

　　In his speech, Wei Fenghe analyzed the current regional security situation and focused on his four point opinions on the efforts of the Chinese side to strengthen maritime security cooperation:

　　Firstly, safeguard common interests and actively perform international duties and responsibilities. Countries should actively carry out maritime security cooperation and take it as one of their bounden duties and responsibilities.

　　Secondly, strengthen dialogues and exchanges and enhance mutual trust in maritime security strategies. Countries should strengthen communication and exchanges as well as dialogues and consultation and constantly enhance strategic mutual trust, so as to lay a foundation for maritime security cooperation.

　　Thirdly, carry out pragmatic cooperation to improve the ability to jointly respond to threats. Countries should take pragmatic measures in information sharing, joint training, cooperation mechanism and joint actions to improve their ability to jointly respond to maritime security threats.

　　Fourthly, properly settle differences and jointly maintain maritime security and peace. For the issues concerning the recent tensions and the navigation freedom and security in the South China Sea raised by some participating countries, Wei Fenghe reiterated the principled stand of the Chinese side on relevant issues and pointed out that the Chinese side is not to blame for the recent tensions in the South China Sea and the navigation freedom and security in the South China Sea have never been affected by disputes over its sovereignty.

　　At the conference, Wei Fenghe re-emphasized that China unswervingly takes the road of peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy defensive in nature. Wei Fenghe expressed that China is willing to work together with the international community to strengthen maritime security cooperation and strive to create a better and harmonious Asia-Pacific region.