President Xi Jinping attended the summit for the first time, and he elaborated on China's approach to promoting nuclear security and called for global cooperation to ensure nuclear energy's lasting security and development.

While giving details of China's approach to promoting nuclear security, he said the world should place "equal emphasis" on development and security and develop nuclear energy on the premise of security. Rights and obligations should be given the same attention, he said, and the international nuclear security process should be pushed forward on the basis of respecting the rights and interests of all countries, and independent and collaborative efforts. The nuclear security endeavor should treat both the symptoms and the causes and universal nuclear security should be advanced through win-win cooperation that removes risks at the root.

As Xi said, where light inches forward, darkness retreats, and the more we do to enhance nuclear security, the less chances there will be for terrorist activities.

Speaking of China's future commitment to nuclear security, the Chinese president said China will stay firmly committed to strengthening its own nuclear security capability, building the international nuclear security system, supporting international cooperation on nuclear security, and upholding regional and global peace and stability.

China has maintained a good record of nuclear security over the past 50 years and has actively participated in related international cooperation on nuclear security. Besides actively using nuclear energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, China attaches great importance to nuclear security and actively carries out cooperation with other countries.

In November 2011, China established the National Nuclear Security Technology Center, which provides technical support for the country's nuclear security, nuclear materials control and import and export management, and which is also responsible for the construction, management and operation of the Center of Excellence on Nuclear Security, a joint project between China and the United States.

While meeting with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit, Xi said the only correct way to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is to restart negotiations, he called on all relevant parties to restart the long stalled Six-Party Talks and implement the goals set in a joint statement released on Sept 19, 2005. He stressed that China has major interests and concerns on the Korean Peninsula, and firmly commits itself to realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula and safeguarding its peace and stability.

Looking to the future, the global nuclear security situation will become more complicated with the evolution of great power relations and emergence of new regional hotspot issues. China will seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, seize new opportunities and expand its international strategic initiative.

The author is deputy director of World Politics Research Institute, affiliated to the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.