Xi reaffirms China's commitment to peace and cooperation, urges upholding UN authority

-- Five decades ago, the 26th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted, with an overwhelming majority, Resolution 2758, and restored all rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

-- For these 50 years, the Chinese people have stood in solidarity and cooperation with people around the world and upheld international equity and justice, contributing significantly to world peace and development.

-- Addressing a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat at the UN, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order.

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday reaffirmed China's commitment to the path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, and called on the world to uphold the authority and standing of the United Nations (UN) and practice true multilateralism.

Addressing a commemorative meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat at the United Nations, Xi said China would always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order.

Five decades ago, the 26th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted, with an overwhelming majority, Resolution 2758, and restored all rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

"It was a victory for the Chinese people and a victory for people of the world," Xi said, adding that the past 50 years have witnessed China's peaceful development and its commitment and dedication to the welfare of all humanity.

Combo photo taken between July and October 2020 shows villagers, who used to be registered as impoverished households in over 20 cities and counties of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, smiling as they have benefited from the businesses under poverty alleviation program. (Xinhua)

CONTRIBUTING TO PEACE, DEVELOPMENT

The restoration of China's lawful seat at the United Nations marked a momentous event for the world and the United Nations. It came as the result of joint efforts of all peace-loving countries that stood up for justice in the world.

"It marked the return of the Chinese people, or one-fourth of the world's population, back to the UN stage," Xi said, stressing that the importance was significant and far-reaching for both China and the wider world.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, said China's restoration of its legitimate seat at the United Nations means that the United Nations has truly become the most universal, representative and authoritative intergovernmental international organization, which is a milestone of historic importance for both the development of the United Nations and China's diplomatic history.

For these 50 years, the Chinese people have stood in solidarity and cooperation with people around the world and upheld international equity and justice, contributing significantly to world peace and development.

Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and has contributed more peacekeepers than any other permanent member of the Security Council.

Members of a Chinese medical team to Algeria attend a ceremony at Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing, May 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)

China has also realized remarkable development and achieved a historic breakthrough of leaping from a country with relatively low productivity to the second largest economy in the world.

According to the World Bank's poverty line, poverty reduction in China represents 70 percent of the world's total, achieving the target set by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.

"Peace and development are our common cause, equity and justice our common aspiration, and democracy and freedom our common pursuit," Xi said.

"We should vigorously advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity, and work together to provide the right guiding philosophy for building a better world."

"The more China develops, the better it will be for the United Nations. China can firmly support the United Nations to play a greater role in international affairs and continuously contribute to global peaceful development and progress," Ruan said.

DEVOTED TO WIN-WIN RESULTS

Nowadays, the world is facing accelerated changes unseen in a century, while the force for peace, development and progress has continued to grow. Under such circumstance, Xi called on the world to choose cooperation over confrontation, openness over seclusion, and mutual benefit over zero-sum games.

"We should stay committed to mutual benefit and win-win results, and work together to promote economic and social development for the greater benefit of our people," Xi said.

Noting that China is committed to achieving common development, he stressed that China has always helped other developing countries and offered the world new opportunities through its own development.

"China's remarkable development is not only a boon to itself, but also to the region, particularly the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the world," said Phay Siphan, Cambodian government chief spokesman.

Photo taken on Oct. 14, 2021 shows the opening ceremony of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li He)

At the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly held last month, China proposed a Global Development Initiative with the hope that countries will work together to overcome the impacts of COVID-19 on global development, accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build a global community of development with a shared future.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the initiative as being of great positive significance to promoting global equality, and a balanced and sustainable development, saying that the United Nations fully supports the initiative and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in this regard.

Liu Meng, head of the Asia Pacific Networks of the UN Global Compact, said the initiative coordinated the differences and characteristics of countries at different development stages, and focused on the common challenges and problems faced by all countries.

"It will drive countries to build consensus, make joint efforts, and help promote win-win cooperation among them," Liu said.

CHAMPIONING TRUE MULTILATERALISM

In the speech, Xi urged the upholding of the UN's authority and standing, and practicing true multilateralism, as the world is confronted by regional disputes and global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity.

"Only with more inclusive global governance, more effective multilateral mechanisms and more active regional cooperation, can these issues be addressed effectively," Xi said.

"International rules can only be made by the 193 UN Member States together, and not decided by individual countries or blocs of countries. International rules should be observed by the 193 UN Member States, and there is and should be no exception," Xi stressed.

An airport worker transports packages of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 14, 2021. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

Natee Taweesrifuengfung, president of the Thailand-based Siam Think Tank, said as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has set a good example in improving the global governance system, staying true to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and upholding the central role of the United Nations in international affairs.

He added that China's commitment to working with the rest of the world toward a community with a shared future for mankind is a solid testament to how China endeavors to promote the improvement of the global governance system.

Xi also reaffirmed China's commitment to the United Nations and the world, saying China stands ready to work with all countries under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to explore new ideas and new models of cooperation and keep enriching the practice of multilateralism under new circumstances.

Guterres said China always persists in multilateralism and supports the UN course, and called on the international community to strengthen solidarity, uphold multilateralism, improve global governance, and achieve more fairness and justice.