China has pledged an extra $100 million to help refugees and migrants. Premier Li Keqiang made the announcement at the first ever UN summit on Refugees and Migrants. He also met with U.S. President Barack Obama on U.S.-China issues. Nathan King joins us live from the United Nations.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang began the official part of his trip by addressing the first-ever UN summit on refugees and migrants.
He stressed the need to treat every refugee with respect.
"This issue is a humanitarian crisis testing human conscious. We are living in this same global village. Every life is precious. The dignity of every person deserves to be upheld," Li said.
Not since the Second World War has the world witnessed so many people fleeing armed conflicts-now more than 65 million.
Premier Li said the crisis affects all nations.
"Large movements of refugees and migrants affects or triggers a series of political, social and security issues," he said.
This summit - the first of two on refugees - heard from the affected people themselves like Syrian refugee Mohammed Badran.
"From the time I arrived in the Netherlands, I saw how even Europe is struggling with the growing number of refugees. There is intense public fear about refugees. As young refugees we face this anger and fear every day," he said.
Premier Li then met privately with U.S. President Barack Obama. Among topics discussed-the DPRK's latest nuclear test.
Washington and Beijing have very different ideas on the next step forward.
This refugees summit was aimed at uniting the world to do more for refugees? but as Mohammed Badran said many countries are fearful of letting in more refugees and migrants. That led to a dropping of quotas from the final agreement here that would have required countries to settle 10% of the global refugee population every year. Now countries will have two years to come up with plans of action. Tuesday's summit chaired by the U.S. President will ask for specific pledges like China's.
