Nuclear security a priority

Fourth, nuclear security is a "new frontier" to promote international cooperation on security issues. The Summit in the Netherlands should be a landmark in the nuclear security summit process for a new period of building an international nuclear security regime. Nuclear security will then become a new focal point in international security cooperation.

China has given vigorous support to enhanced global nuclear security and made enormous efforts to this end:

First, we have worked to build our own nuclear security capacity and thus strengthened the foundation for enhanced global nuclear security. As a Chinese saying goes, "How can you expect a person to sweep the world clean if he doesn't even want to do so in his own house?" The Chinese government, never dodging its responsibilities, has adopted multiple measures to strengthen the country's nuclear security with notable progress.

Second, we have engaged in multi-layered international cooperation on nuclear security and cultivated a strong drive for enhanced global nuclear security. China has conducted nuclear security cooperation with the United States and many other countries, and actively pushed forward such cooperation at regional and global levels.

Third, we have taken part in the nuclear security summit process in a constructive manner and offered our proposals for enhanced global nuclear security. China's head of state has attended all three nuclear security summits so far, thus contributing "Chinese power" to the summit process.

Both China and the United States are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major nuclear industrial powers. It is in our common interests to cooperate on nuclear security matters. This is not only our shared responsibility but also a bright spot in bilateral cooperation. Though the two countries have had some fruitful cooperation schemes such as building a Center of Excellence, converting HEU facilities and combating nuclear materials smuggling, there is far greater room for us to expand our cooperation.

To enhance global nuclear security is a challenging task, which cannot be accomplished overnight. Not only will China not give up its efforts half way, it looks forward to joining the United States and all other countries in this common march towards the future.

The author is China's foreign minister.