Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (9th L) poses for photo with other leaders before the 9th East Asia Summit (EAS) plenary session in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Nov. 13, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

By Xinhua Writer Huang Yinjiazi

BEIJING, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- A key task for regional leaders attending a series of meetings on East Asia's cooperation in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw is to brainstorm a future blueprint, so that the region could enjoy lasting peace and prosperity.

To that end, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called on the East Asia Summit (EAS) participants to give equal importance to political security and economic development. He compared the domains to two wheels that keep a vehicle running.

On the economic front, East Asia faces an unprecedented opportunity to cooperate and prosper, given the fact regional trade is booming and interdependence is rising, and all regional economies are linked to a common destiny.

To strengthen that momentum, it is compelling that regional countries need to integrate East Asia into an economic community by promoting free trade, boosting inter-connectivity and mutual access and strengthening financial cooperation, among others.

However, no region can proper without a stable security environment. Territorial disputes in the South China Sea are one of the outstanding factors threatening regional peace and stability.

To properly address that issue, it is worth noticing that the disputes have never been a problem between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They are the separate disputes between China and certain members of the bloc.

Therefore, ASEAN meetings and its gatherings with partner countries are never appropriate places for discussing such problems, and should never be hijacked by any ASEAN member or outside force to serve their selfish interests at the expense of China-ASEAN friendship and cooperation.

As Prmeir Li told the EAS, China and ASEAN members have already identified a dual-track approach for dealing with the South China Sea issue, according to which specific disputes are to be solved through negotiations and consultations by countries directly concerned and peace and stability in the region be jointly upheld by China and ASEAN countries working together.

In fact, China has always been a staunch supporter and ardent keeper of regional peace and stability. The country gives all-out support to any move that strengthen cooperation in the South China Sea.

Nevertheless, China has its bottom line and would not hesitate to react to any act of provocation if its sovereignty is breached.

As ASEAN and China entered the "diamond decade" of their cooperation this year and the EAS mechanism would mark its first decade next year, the region now stands at an important juncture for its future development.

For the sake of East Asia's common future, it is crucial for all regional countries to always keep their eyes on the big picture of peace and development, and never let disaccords sidetrack the overall effort for stability and prosperity.