Highlights: Remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at welcoming banquet of opening ceremony of 9th Asian Winter Games

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on Friday hosted a banquet in China's northeastern city of Harbin to welcome international dignitaries who are here to attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games.

In Xi's remarks at the banquet, he noted that the theme of the Games -- "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia" -- embodies Asian people's shared aspiration and desire for peace, development and friendship.

Here are the highlights.

--From the Olympic Winter Games Beijing to the Asian Winter Games Harbin, the passion in China for ice and snow has swept across the nation. It has also invigorated winter sports around the world.

--The theme of the Ninth Asian Winter Games -- "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia" -- embodies the shared aspiration and desire of the Asian people for peace, development and friendship.

--We should uphold our shared dream for tranquility and harmony. Peace is as pure as ice and snow. No matter how the international landscape evolves, we should join hands together to meet all kinds of security challenges and contribute Asian strength to building an equal and orderly multipolar world.

--We should pursue our shared aspiration for prosperity and development. Winter sports are fascinating because they require passion and collaboration. We should work together to promote progress and development, and provide sustained drive for a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

--We should fulfill our shared desire for friendship and affinity. Every snowflake is unique, and every civilization is distinctive. Asia is a convergence of the world's diverse civilizations. We should promote inclusiveness, coexistence and mutual learning, and contribute more to the development and progress of human civilization.