China has firmly persisted in its peaceful development road, and its opening up strategy featuring mutual benefits and policy of building a harmonious world have received international praise, said Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Sunday.

In an interview with Xinhua, Li said the basic meaning of China's peaceful development road was to both develop China itself through safeguarding world peace and promote world peace through China's development.

"In the past year, China has played a constructive role in many major international and regional issues, such as the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue and the Iranian nuclear issue," said Li, "China has proved through action that she is a good friend and partner of the world people,"

Li noted that China has actively participated in multilateral diplomacy, continued to support the reform of the United Nations, participated in a wide range of activities of the United Nations and international multilateral economic organizations, and conducted all-round economic and technological cooperation and exchanges with foreign countries.

China has also offered help and aid within its own ability to those countries and people who suffered from natural disasters and other difficulties, such as rescuing Vietnamese fishing ships and offering aid to Indonesia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Thailand and the Philippines who suffered from earthquake, flood, mud-rock flow and sinkage of oil-tank.

"Chinese leaders have expounded China's policies of peaceful development road, opening up strategy featuring mutual benefits and advocation of a harmonious world, and have received international praise," said Li.

He said Chinese leaders have expounded these policies at various occasions, such as the G-8 Summit held in Russia in July, the 14th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum held in Vietnam in November and the sixth Asia-Europe meeting held in Finland in September.

"More and more countries have recognized that China's development is peaceful, open, cooperative and harmonious development, and China is a staunch force in safeguarding world peace and promoting common prosperity," said Li.

Source: Xinhua