GYEONGJU, South Korea -- President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China has always been a defender of the current international order and a practitioner of true multilateralism.

In a written speech delivered at the APEC CEO Summit, Xi said history shows that humanity shares a common destiny, and hegemonism brings only war and disaster.

Confrontation and division only lead to estrangement and turmoil, while cooperation and mutual benefit are the right path forward, Xi said, adding that unilateralism will only lead to division and regression, while multilateralism is the inevitable choice to address global challenges.