SHANGHAI, May 20  -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on Asian countries to promote unity, cooperation and development of the continent.

Xi made the call during his speech at a banquet he and his wife Peng Liyuan gave to the guests attending the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

There are several major emerging economies in today's Asia, a continent with a variety of systems and cultures, Xi said, and the rise of Asia has become an important driving force for world economic development and progress of civilization.

He called on Asian countries to cherish the rare opportunities, jointly consolidate and safeguard the good momentum of Asian development, promote the unity, cooperation and development of whole Asia.

As a security forum which gathers the largest number of Asian countries, the CICA has a promising future in reaching Asian consensus, promoting dialogue among civilizations and strengthening mutual trust and interaction, said the president.

China's decision to take over the CICA rotating presidency is the country's practical action to safeguard peace, he said, vowing to host a successful summit so as to make contributions to a new Asia of peace, stability and cooperation.