UN debate highlights China's commitment to world peace

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) confers with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon prior to the UN Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York on Monday. Wang was presiding over the meeting to discuss maintenance of international peace and security, as current Security Council President. Mike Segar / Reuters

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired a UN ministerial-level open debate about the 70th anniversaries of victory of the anti-fascism war and the founding of the United Nations, with the them of reflecting on history and reaffirm the commitment to the principles of the UN Charter. Comments:

Today we live in a world far different from that of 1945. There might not be an immediate global war, but new challenges and threats have emerged, including terrorism, epidemics, cyber threats and climate change. These challenges have exposed the deficiencies of the current international system, and call for efforts to strengthen the UN's role and make it more effective in coping with these common threats.

cri.cn, Feb 24

Just as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, China, as a powerful partner of the UN, has taken a leading role in coping with various kinds of global threats. China will continue working towards defending the principles embodied in the UN Charter.

People's Daily, Feb 25

Of the 192 UN member states, 78 applied to speak in the debate, which shows how influential China's diplomatic ideas are. It is China's sincere wish for peace and its contributions toward win-win cooperation that have won such wide support for its initiatives

china.com.cn, Feb 25

A look back at the past 70 years will show that, whenever UN Charter is trampled upon by certain powers, world peace is threatened; only when all obey UN Charter will there be peace. UN Charter principles, such as respect for sovereignty and territory, are the founding stones of modern international law system and all powers should cherish them.

xinhuanet.com, Feb 25

The (Chinese) representative sees the debate as a preliminary event leading up to important commemorative anniversary events, although he said the forum is not targeted at any specific nations...however, China may be trying to curb the influence of Japan, with which it has clashed over historical perceptions, by stressing the maintenance of the postwar order that makes the victors the central players.

the-japan-news.com, Feb 22