China vows 'milestone' CICA summit

China expects to make the upcoming summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) a milestone in CICA history, said a senior diplomat in Shanghai on Sunday.

The fourth CICA summit will be held in the eastern Chinese metropolis on Tuesday and Wednesday, drawing 11 heads of state, one government head and 10 chiefs of international organizations.

The dignitaries will include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said that China, as a founding CICA member and a positive participant in the conference's development, has made its due contribution to enhancing cooperation, solidarity and trust between Asian countries.

China's holding the summit and taking over as CICA host from 2014 to 2016 reveals the great importance the country attaches to the CICA, Cheng said.

He described the three targets of the Shanghai summit as promoting communication and trust among relevant parties, gathering consensus and wisdom, and discussing ways to solving pressing issues for Asia.

"Through the summit, we hope to offer a platform for countries to exchange views on Asian security and cooperation," he said.

CICA member states are expected to issue a Shanghai Declaration elaborating on their common aspiration and commitments to strengthening strategic coordination and building an integrated security environment, according to Cheng.

The declaration will also expound on plans for CICA development in the next 10 years.

As the hosting country of the summit, China hopes to guide relevant parties to settle their disputes through equal consultation and peaceful manner within the CICA framework, Cheng said.

The vice foreign minister added, "We are confident we can work with other CICA member states to make new contributions to Asia's peace and stability."

The Shanghai summit is also expected to offer an important opportunity for China to show Asia its achievements in reform and opening up.

The CICA was established in 1992 as a forum for dialogue and consultations and promotion of confidence-building measures and now groups 24 member countries and 13 observers.