Chinese navy to actively maintain peace of Indian Ocean

The peace and stability of the Indian Ocean bear upon that of the world. The freedom and safety of the navigation in the Indian Ocean play a very important role in the recovery and development of global economy and the Chinese navy will actively maintain the peace and stability of the Indian Ocean, Vice Admiral Su Zhiqian, commander of the East China Sea Fleet under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), stated in Galle, a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka, on December 13, 2012.

Su Zhiqian made the above remarks at the "Galle Dialogue 2012" conference inaugurated on the very day. Naval delegations from 28 countries including Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, Australia, the U.S., UK and France attended the conference to discuss how to ensure the freedom and safety of navigation in the Indian Ocean.

Su Zhiqian said that the Chinese navy is a staunch force in safeguarding the world peace and an active advocate and implementer of the idea of constructing a "harmonious ocean". China is expecting to carry out more extensive and in-depth maritime security cooperation with the navies of various countries through this "Galle Dialogue" so as to make due contributions to and play an active role in maintaining the peace and stability of the Indian Ocean as well as the world at large.

He made a proposal on actively holding bilateral and multilateral dialogues to improve strategic mutual trust, seek to establish a code of conduct for the navies from various countries to carry out maritime security cooperation under the premise of respect for each country's sovereignty and maritime interests, and gradually expand the scope of maritime security cooperation by dealing with such non-traditional security threats as maritime terrorism, natural disasters and others as the breakthrough points.

Gota, permanent secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense, stated at the opening ceremony that the Indian Ocean is currently facing threats of terrorism, piracy, waste disposal, illegal fishing and smuggling of drugs and weapons. At the same time, the Indian Ocean region is frequently affected by natural disasters. Located at the central position of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka will actively promote cooperation with all relevant parties in a bid to ensure the security of the Indian Ocean waters.

The "Galle Dialogue" is held by Sri Lanka, an island country in the Indian Ocean, with a purpose to promote exchanges and cooperation in this region. This is the third meeting ever held with participating countries increased from 10 in 2010 to 28 this year.