China keen on making good relations with neighbors

BEIJING - The just-concluded visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Mongolia which shares a 4,710-km-long land border line with China highlighted China's keenness to make good relations with its neighbors.

Describing his two-day trip to Mongolia as "visiting relatives," Xi quoted a Chinese saying to illustrate the closeness of the two countries in terms of geographic position and psychologic linkage.

"The more frequent relatives visit each other, the closer they will become," so goes another Chinese saying. The frequent visits by the top Chinese leader demonstrated China's good-neighborly policies.

Frequent visits

Xi's Mongolia visit, his second one-country foreign trip since taking office in March 2013, has charted the course for future development of bilateral relations, which enhanced mutual trust, promoted economic cooperation and deepened traditional friendship between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday.

Xi's first one-country foreign trip was made last month to South Korea, another close neighbor of China, which was an important step for him to put his philosophy of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness" into practice in dealing with neighboring countries.

Early in February this year, Xi attended the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, where the two leaders of China and Russia discussed ways of advancing ties between the two neighboring countries.

Besides, to build mutually beneficial ties with its neighbors, China established strategic partnerships with Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan last year, and upgraded its bilateral ties with Indonesia and Malaysia to comprehensive strategic partnerships.

Xi, at a conference on diplomatic work in October last year, stressed the necessity of good diplomatic work in neighboring countries, saying the neighboring region has major strategic significance.

Welcome aboard china's train of development

"Welcome aboard China's train of development!" Xi told Mongolian lawmakers during his visit to the country.

"China is willing to offer opportunities and room to Mongolia and other neighbors for common development," Xi said, adding that "you can take a ride on our express train or just make a hitchhike, all are welcome."

China, on one hand, has strived for a sound neighboring environment for its own development and on the other hand, seek common development with neighboring countries.

Maintaining a peaceful and stable neighborhood is necessary for China's development. It is also necessary for regional stability and world peace.

The Chinese leaders have proposed a series of strategic concepts aimed at promoting regional prosperity and development, including a Silk Road Economic Belt with Central Asian countries, a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) development bank and a 21st-century maritime Silk Road with Southeast Asian countries.

China has called for concerted efforts with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to build a China-ASEAN community of common destiny.

The Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and the envisaged Asian infrastructure investment bank should be seen as new platforms for China-Mongolia cooperation, noted Xi, adding that the two sides should promote mutually-beneficial cooperation in more fields.

"China dream" to benefit neighbors

During his visit to neighboring countries, Xi Jinping expounded on many occasions on the "China dream," a policy the new Chinese leadership has adopted to pursue peace, prosperity, happiness and social stability.

The "China dream" will benefit its neighbors as it opened up new opportunities for them to realize their own dreams.

China has always regarded its neighbors as cooperative partners and sincere friends for common development, peace and stability.

It is a major task for Asian countries to achieve common development, and properly resolve controversies and disputes, Xi said during his visit to Mongolia.

There are 6,169 Chinese enterprises registered in Mongolia as of June 2013, accounting for 48.8 percent of foreign enterprises registered in Mongolia, according to statistics released by Mongolia.

China and Mongolia share 14 border crossings for exports and imports, with the advantage of less transportation distance and lower cost.

It is hoped that China and its neighbors could seize the opportunity to obtain early achievements through interregional cooperation and to bring benefits to their peoples.