Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, makes a public speech on China's policy towards the Asia-Pacific region at the Harvard Kennedy School on Friday. Wang Hao / For China Daily

China is committed to regional stability and peace and will solve disputes through dialogue and negotiations, Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said.

Speaking on China's Asia-Pacific policy at Harvard Kennedy School Friday, Cui said China's foreign policy "gives the highest priority to its relations with its neighbors. This has been the case all along, but particularly so since China started reform and opening up about 35 years ago," the ambassador said.

Cui's remarks come after US President Barack Obama pledged to support Japan in its territorial disputes with China over the Diaoyu Islands during the president's recent Asia tour. Obama’s statement was strongly criticized by the Chinese government. China's foreign ministry urged the US to "respect the fact" that the Islands are China's "inherent territory".

Cui said President Xi Jinping pointed out that in modern times, China's great renewal will fulfill the Chinese people's grandest dream. One of Xi's four policy principles is to address disputes through peaceful dialogue and negotiations. 

"These principles are determined by China's longer term and fundamental national interests," he said. 

The US launched the 100,000 Strong Educational Exchange Initiatives in 2010 to increase the number and diversity of Chinese and American students studying in both countries.  

A US State Department report shows that about 820,000 overseas students study in the US with Chinese students accounting for 28.7 percent, tops among all countries. 

"Chinese students are the largest group of foreign students here," Cui said. "The cooperation between Harvard and Tsinghua University is providing training for China's central and local government officials and politicians, strengthening the bonds with China and more significantly, helping build up the human resources for China’s modernization," he said.