Xi calls on countries to uphold peace

Anita Kiki Gebe, deputy joint special representative of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), awards UN peace medal to a soldier of the 2nd China Medium Utility Helicopter Unit (CMUHU02) in El-Fashir, Sudan, July 17, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping reiterated on Wednesday the importance of maintaining peace and security amid the volatile changes in the international landscape, and he called on countries to work together to uphold peace and pursue peaceful development.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the Commemorative Event for the International Day of Peace 2022, which was held in Beijing on Wednesday. Liu Jianchao, minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, read the letter at the event.

Xi said that profound and complex changes have taken place in the international security situation, and the world is entering a fresh period of turbulence and transformation.

"At this important historical juncture, I put forward the Global Security Initiative, which calls on all countries to uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security," Xi said in the letter.

The initiative also calls for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, abiding by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, emphasizing the legitimate security concerns of all countries and resolving countries' differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, he added.

Xi underlined the need for all countries to shoulder the responsibility for maintaining peace and jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Established in 1981 by the UN General Assembly, the International Day of Peace is observed annually around the world on Sept 21. Wednesday's event, organized by the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, was themed "Acting on the Global Security Initiative to Maintain World Peace and Stability".

Addressing the event via video link, Vice-President Wang Qishan said that China stands ready to work along with the international community to implement the Global Security Initiative and actively promote world peace and stability.

Wang underlined the need to promote equality among countries in terms of the rights, opportunities and rules they enjoy, and work together to cope with various security risks and challenges.

All countries — big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor — are equal members of the international community, and their national security, sovereignty and development interests shall be respected and their internal affairs brook no interference, he said.

Noting that dialogue and cooperation are the right way toward peace, Wang called for supporting all efforts that help to peacefully resolve crises, and opposing the use of double standards and long-arm jurisdiction.

He emphasized the importance of upholding the authority of the UN, opposing hegemony and bullying and practicing true multilateralism in order to safeguard global peace and stability and promote the development and prosperity of all countries.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video speech that peace is a noble and necessary pursuit and the only practical pathway to a better, fairer world for all people.

He called on countries to reaffirm the bonds of solidarity and build a better and more peaceful world.

Diplomatic envoys and foreign business executives from around 50 countries attended the event at the Great Hall of the People, while representatives from more than 120 political organizations, peace groups and security think tanks from 90 countries participated in the meeting online.

They hailed the China-proposed Global Security Initiative, and said that it meets the common aspirations of people from around the world for peace and helps build a world of peace, security and prosperity.

Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, said that the lingering COVID-19 pandemic plus ongoing regional conflicts have contributed to the destabilization of the global community.

"It is indeed crucial that multilateralism and international collaboration must be reiterated amid the unprecedented challenges we are facing. Also, countries around the world must remain committed to a shared vision of common, cooperative and sustainable security," he said.