China calls on world to build peaceful future

Greater solidarity, global cooperation not a choice, but a must, FM says at UN

Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed on Monday that to build a better future, the countries of the world should work toward peace, prosperity and justice.

He made the remark in a speech at the United Nations Summit of the Future, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York on Sunday and Monday.

In a changing and turbulent world, greater solidarity and cooperation of the international community is not a choice, but a must, said Wang, who is also special representative of President Xi Jinping.

The foreign minister said that with this goal in mind, Xi has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, advocated high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

The vision and initiatives have provided new solutions for tackling the common challenges of humanity and drawn a new blueprint for building a better world, Wang said, as he elaborated a four-point proposal put forth by China.

First, countries of the world need to build a future of peace and tranquility, and should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

Wang said that major countries in particular should lead by example. They should break geopolitical circles by pursuing the greater good, rise above bloc confrontation with a broad vision for mutual prosperity, and serve as propellers for world solidarity and anchors for international peace, he said.

Second, countries of the world need to build a future of development and prosperity, follow a people-centered development philosophy and advocate a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

"In today's world, all countries are aboard a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. Small boats may not survive winds and waves, but a giant ship is strong enough to brave the stormy seas. Countries need to share development opportunities and pursue win-win cooperation.

"A winner-takes-all approach is a sure way to lose the whole game, and the 'small yard with high fences' would only imprison the builder and tear the world apart," Wang said.

Third, countries of the world need to build a future of fairness and justice, build an equal and orderly multipolar world, oppose acts of hegemony such as unilateral sanctions, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

All countries, regardless of their size and strength, are equal members of the international community, and international affairs should be handled through consultation with all countries, Wang said.

"We need to defend the UN-centered international system, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he said, adding that "the law of the jungle where the strong bully the weak" should be firmly rejected.

Fourth, countries of the world need to build a better future by keeping abreast with the times and making global governance more just and equitable.

As the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation deepens, new opportunities and challenges have emerged for human society and global governance, Wang said.

The Summit of Future saw the adoption of the Pact for the Future, along with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. The digital compact is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and artificial intelligence governance.

"China supports the UN in serving as the main channel in AI governance and will propose the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All. In particular, we need to encourage the young people to bring out their creativity and contribute their share to the advancement of humankind," Wang said.

China today is going all out to build a great, modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, he said, adding that this would create new opportunities for global peace and development.