Full coverage: 5th CICA Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Full coverage: China’s Leaders

President Xi touched upon the South China Sea issue in his speech, saying it is something which is getting a lot of focus. He reiterated China's stance, however, saying such disputes should be addressed by direct and peaceful negotiations.

"I want to stress that China has always been advocating to maintain the peace and stability of South China Sea. We also firmly protect our sovereignty and other rights in the area. China also sticks to peaceful ways and negotiating directly with relevant parties to resolve disputes. And we are willing to join ASEAN countries to build a peaceful, friendly and cooperative South China Sea," Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the opening ceremony of the fifth foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)