China highlights four 'dos,' 'don'ts' in developing international relations

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds a press conference after presiding over a United Nations Security Council open debate on international peace and security at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, on Feb. 23, 2015. (Xinhua/Niu Xiaolei)

China advocates peace, cooperation, justice, and a win-win approach in expanding international relations in the 21st century, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at an open debate of the UN Security Council held in the United Nations Monday.

Wang presided over the debate, entitled "Maintaining International Peace and Security: Reflect on History, Reaffirm the Strong Commitment to the Purposes and the Principles of the Charter of the United Nations," which was initiated by China. China serves in the position of the rotating presidency of the Council for the month of February.

China opposes conflict, confrontation, hegemony and the zero- sum approach in developing international relations in the 21st century, the Chinese Foreign Minister said, stressing "we should uphold peace and prevent conflict."

Noting that some regions in the world today are still plagued with turbulence and conflicts, Wang said the fundamental way out of it is to strictly abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as to safeguard the sanctity of the UN and the UN Security Council.

"In China's view, any unilateral move that bypass the Security Council is illegal and illegitimate," he said. "The Security Council needs to take more precautionary measures to forestall conflict and act in a timely manner to stop warfare so as to restore peace and promote reconstruction as early as possible."

While highlighting the importance of embracing cooperation instead of confrontation in the globalization and the internet era, Wang said China calls upon all countries, major countries in particular, to step up awareness of cooperation and abandon the mind-set of confrontation, working hard to resolve major problems hampering the world's peace and regional development through consultations.

"The old mindset of confrontation should be discarded, and consultation and cooperation among the parties should be encouraged if we are to address the major issues affecting world and regional peace and development," he said.

China maintains that all countries are equal, regardless of their size or wealth, and that all countries' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected and their choice of development path and social system be upheld.

While stressing the present time calls for greater democracy and the rule of law in international relations, Wang pointed out that no country in the world is entitled to impose its own will on others or to topple the legitimate governments of other countries.

"We should make sure that justice, not hegemony, will prevail in the world," he said.

China advocates a new thinking of win-win and all-win cooperation, as well as a new concept of community building for shared interests and common destiny, said Wang.

"We should work with each other with a win-win, not zero-sum approach," he said. "We call upon all countries to come together to share rights and obligations and uphold justice while pursuing interests."