Seeking to allay fears of China’s growing assertiveness, President Xi Jinping has made clear his country’s commitment to work for peaceful development and to usher in a “new phase” in Asia’s security landscape.

Speaking to a gathering of leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai at a security forum here yesterday, Xi outlined a new “Asian security concept” on how Asian states can play a bigger role to maintain regional peace.

In a nutshell, he said one country’s security should not come at the expense of another’s, and sustainable security has to be driven by holistic cooperation and joint development among Asian states.

… Singapore-based international relations analyst Li Mingjiang said China’s increased security interest is motivated by a growing desire to play a more active role in international affairs and to reshape the security structure and norms in the Asia-Pacific region.

“This is clearly a response to US efforts to consolidate its alliances and security partnerships in the region and growing security concerns in some regional countries towards China,” Professor Li told The Straits Times.