Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 in Boao, a coastal town in South China's Hainan province, April 7. [Photo / Xinhua]

BOAO, Hainan - President Xi Jinping said China will make contributions toward peace and development in Asia and the world at an international forum that opened on Sunday.

China will vigorously promote development and prosperity in both Asia and the world, Xi said when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 in Boao, a coastal town in South China's Hainan province.

Xi called for the world to uphold peace for the sake of common development.

"Countries, whether big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, should all contribute their share in maintaining and enhancing peace," Xi said.

No one should be allowed to throw a region into chaos for selfish gains, he said.

Although growing interactions inevitably lead to friction, it is important that countries resolve their differences through dialogue in the larger interest of the sound growth of their relations, he said.

Xi pledged that China's development will bring even greater benefits to the rest of the world.

"The more China grows, the more development opportunities it will create for the rest of Asia and the world," he said.

In the coming five years, the country's imports will reach about $10 trillion and its outbound investment will reach $500 billion, according to the president.

Its number of outbound tourists may exceed 400 million, he said.

Xi also said China will continue to properly handle differences and frictions with relevant nations.

While upholding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, China will maintain good relations with its neighbors, as well as maintain overall peace and stability in the region, he said.

Xi's appearance is the first he has made at a multilateral diplomatic meeting in China since he was elected president in March.

He recently completed his first foreign tour as China's president, having visited Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo, as well as attended the fifth BRICS summit in Durban, South Africa.

In a group interview held with reporters from BRICS countries before the visit, Xi said China will unswervingly follow a path of peaceful development.

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