China calls for a new, self-reliant Middle East

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a peaceful, tolerant and self-reliant Middle East in his speech at a Security Council meeting in New York on Wednesday.

At the meeting on the settlement of conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa and countering the terrorist threat in the region, Wang said the Middle East is facing a grim situation: national differences, sectarian strife and ethnic conflicts interact; wars and humanitarian disasters are intertwined with terror threats.

Wang in his speech spoke of the 3-year-old Syrian boy found drowned on a beach on Sept 2 as his family tried to flee to Europe.

Wang said it struck the conscience of the international community, and he suggested a serious reconsideration of the root of turmoil in the Middle East.

"We call for a joint effort from all members of the international community and people of the Middle East to build a peaceful, tolerant and self-reliant Middle East," he said.

Wang said that during the 70 years since the UN's founding, the Middle East has been plagued by incessant wars and conflicts. Numerous lives have been lost and many innocent people have been displaced.

He said that history tells people repeatedly that military force cannot really solve problems, and that hatred would only destroy hopes.

People can achieve peaceful coexistence only by respecting each other; resolve conflicts only by persistent dialogue and open up the future only by enhancing friendship.

Wang said people need a tolerant Middle East because it is the cradle of civilization and has a glorious history. The region made a significant contribution to the development and progress of human society.

The development of civilization and the self-confidence of culture built the Middle East into an important platform for the Eastern and Western civilization integration.

In the 21st century, different civilizations should seek harmony in diversity, and people should be tolerant; various ethnic groups should coexist in harmony.

hongxiao@chinadailyusa.com