维护海上航行自由与安全符合各方利益。多年来，南海航行自由与安全从来没有发生过问题，今后也不会发生问题。对于同周边一些国家的领土和海洋权益争议，中方主张直接当事国通过谈判协商寻求和平解决办法，在争议解决前各方保持冷静克制以管控分歧、避免冲突，通过搁置争议、共同开发为争议解决创造条件，维护地区和平与稳定。我们反对有关国家提起南海问题国际仲裁，是行使《联合国海洋法公约》赋予的合法权利。按照国际法，各国有权自主选择和平解决争端的方式，任何一国都不能把自己的意志强加给另一国。《联合国海洋法公约》规定，涉及岛礁主权和海域划界等争端，缔约国可以作出声明，不接受第三方强制管辖。目前有34个国家根据这一规定作出了声明。中国在2006年就作出了类似声明。中国不接受、不参与有关国家提起的南海问题国际仲裁是依法办事。我们坚决反对有关国家打着所谓“法治”的幌子侵犯别国合法权益。希望有关国家着眼大局和长远，回到对话磋商谈判的轨道上来，维护有关各方达成的共识，维护地区稳定。

To maintain freedom and safety of navigation on the sea serves the interests of all parties. Over the years, there has never been any problem with regard to freedom and safety of navigation in the South China Sea, nor will there be any in the future. For disputes over territories and maritime rights and interests with some neighboring countries, China maintains that it is up to the countries directly concerned to seek a peaceful settlement through negotiations and consultations between them, and that pending a settlement, the relevant parties should remain calm and exercise restraint so as to manage differences and avoid conflicts, create conditions for the settlement of disputes through shelving differences and carrying out common development, and work together to uphold peace and stability in the region. China is opposed to the submission of the South China Sea issue for international arbitration by certain country, and we are doing so to exercise the legitimate rights enshrined in the UNCLOS. According to international law, countries are entitled to independent choice of approach to peaceful settlement of disputes, and no country should impose its own will on the other. The UNCLOS allows States to declare that they exclude disputes on the sovereignty over islands and reefs, and delimitation of maritime boundaries from compulsory dispute settlement procedures. So far 34 countries have already made declarations pursuant to this provision and China did so in 2006. China’s rejection to accept or participate in the relevant international arbitration is based on international law. China is firmly opposed to certain country’s act of violating the legitimate rights and interests of another country under the pretext of its so-called “rule of law”. China hopes that relevant country would bear in mind the larger picture and long-term interests, return to the track of dialogue, consultation and negotiations, and uphold the consensus of relevant parties, so as to maintain stability in the region.

三、中国主张建立什么样的亚太秩序？

Third, what kind of order does China envisage for the Asia-Pacific?

亚太地区是世界上最具发展活力和潜力的板块，同时也面临贫富差距悬殊、民生问题突出、经济结构不合理等问题。亚太国家大多数是发展中国家，发展是地区多数国家的首要任务和最大安全关切，也是解决地区安全问题的“总钥匙”。地区国家应当聚焦发展主题，积极推动亚太区域一体化进程，不断提升亚太贸易自由化和投资便利化水平，将各国经济互补性转化为共同发展的互助力，为亚太地区的发展和增进地区人民福祉注入强劲动力。

The Asia-Pacific boasts the greatest development vitality and potential in the world. It also faces such problems as big wealth gap, prominent livelihood issues, and unbalanced economic structure. The Asia-Pacific consists of mostly developing countries. Development is the top priority and biggest security concern of most countries in the region, and is the master key to addressing regional security issues. Countries in this region should focus their efforts on development by actively promoting regional integration and advancing regional trade liberalization and investment facilitation so as to turn economic complementarities among them into mutually-reinforcing power for common development and give a strong boost to the development of the Asia-Pacific and the well-being of its people.