PHNOM PENH, May 20  -- The upcoming 4th Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai, China is crucial to building trust, peace, security and stability in Asia, Cambodian experts said.

"The conference is vital to building mutual confidence and closer partnerships among countries in Asia," Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers of Cambodia, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday.

"All countries in Asia are partners, and the conference will strengthen cooperation among them in order to protect regional peace and stability."

Established in 1992, CICA now has 24 member states and 13 observer states and organizations. It serves as a forum for dialogue and consultations and promotion of confidence building measures among its members on security and development.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will open the conference under the theme "enhancing dialogue, confidence and coordination, and on jointly constructing a new Asia with peace, stability and cooperation" on Wednesday.

"Through the conference, I think that it will create more confidence and deeper understanding among Asian countries towards a region of peaceful co-existence, stability, and cooperation for prosperity together," Phay Siphan said.

Cambodia became a member of CICA in 2011. Prime Minister Hun Sen flew to Shanghai on Sunday to attend the conference.

"CICA mainly focuses on security and development cooperation in Asia such as anti-terrorism, anti-nuclear weapon proliferation, climate change, food security, piracy, drug and human trafficking, and poverty reduction," Sry Thamarong, a senior official at Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cabinet, said.

"It also serves as a forum for leaders in Asia to exchange views and build mutual confidence for peace, security, and development cooperation," he said.

Chheang Vannarith, a senior researcher of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said the conference will be a good chance for leaders in Asia to express commitment to building peace, security and stability.

"It will contribute to building strategic trust and confidence, promoting mutual understanding, and finding new areas of cooperation," he said, stressing that CICA should expand its membership and areas of cooperation.

China will hold the CICA presidency from 2014 to 2016.