Xi proposes security concept for Asia – “Let Asians solve Asian problems”

BEIJING – China’s President, Xi Jinping, has called for a common, comprehensive, co-operative and sustainable security strategy for Asia in his keynote speech at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). He proposed that CICA become a security dialogue and co-operation platform for all of Asia, from which countries can explore the possibility of creating a regional security framework.

Xi also indicated that China would take a leading role in establishing this new architecture to build a shared, win-win road for Asian security – and he sent a veiled warning to Washington, without mentioning the US by name saying that "a military alliance which is targetted at a third party is not conducive to common regional security". Xi added that security problems in Asia should be solved by Asians themselves through co-operation.

Beijing hopes it CICA will eventually play a key role in regional security, rather than remaining a largely symbolic conference. However, CICA still does not include all of the major Asia players, with Japan, Singapore, and Australia as non-members, limiting its influence.