Today, changes in the world, in our times and in history are unfolding in ways like never before. The deficits in peace, development, security and governance are growing. Humanity is once again at a crossroads, and facing a consequential choice on its future. Meanwhile, world multi-polarity and economic globalization keep evolving. Peace, development and win-win cooperation are the unstoppable trends of the times. Solidarity, cooperation and progress remain the aspiration of people around the world.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal on building a community with a shared future for mankind. Facing global changes unseen in a century, and keeping in mind both China’s realities and global developments, President Xi Jinping has creatively put forth the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. This proposal has pointed the way forward for the future development of the world and provided a solution for common challenges. Over the past decade, the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has grown from an idea to action and a vision to reality. China calls on the international community to act on true multilateralism, uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, support the U.N. in playing a central role in international affairs, further develop and improve the global governance system, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.
I.Enhancing global security governance and safeguarding world peace and stability
Security is humanity’s most basic need and the most important global public good. As the world faces frequently emerging hotspot issues, rising geopolitical conflicts, and rampant unilateral and bullying practices, the international community needs peace, trust, solidarity and cooperation, rather than war, suspicion, division or confrontation. China welcomes the New Agenda for Peace presented by Secretary General António Guterres, and is ready to have further discussions and build consensus with all parties.
President Xi Jinping has put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI). It advocates a commitment to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; a commitment to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; a commitment to abiding by the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter; a commitment to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously; a commitment to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation; and a commitment to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains, with a view to jointly promoting a global community of security for all.
China firmly supports a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be upheld, the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter observed, and the legitimate security concerns of all sides taken seriously. All efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. The root cause of the crisis lies in the problem of security governance in Europe. Parties concerned must face the crux of the issue squarely, stop shifting problems, build mutual trust and accommodate each other’s legitimate security concerns, so as to gradually create conditions for ceasefire and peace talks. No one gains from conflicts and wars. Imposing sanctions, exerting pressure, or adding fuel to the fire will only escalate the situation. It is important to maintain mutual respect, abandon the Cold War mentality, stop ganging up to stoke camp-based confrontation, and work to build a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture.
China maintains that it is important to preserve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, achieve denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism on the Peninsula. The issue needs to be resolved through dialogue and consultation, and the legitimate concerns of all sides addressed in a balanced manner. Given the current situation, parties concerned need to remain calm and restrained, work to ease the situation and make efforts to create conditions for the resumption of dialogue, rather than insisting on sanctions and pressuring, which would only aggravate problems and escalate tensions. China has been actively promoting peace and talks, and will continue to work with the international community to follow the dual-track approach and take phased and synchronized steps, and to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the Peninsula issue.
China calls on the international community to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, follow the “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned” principle, and maintain engagement and dialogue with Afghanistan on that basis. The international community needs to continue its humanitarian and development assistance for Afghanistan, support Afghanistan in integrating into the connectivity and economic integration process in the region to enhance its capability for independent and sustainable development, and encourage Afghanistan to put in place an inclusive political framework, adopt moderate policies, combat terrorism and develop friendly external relations. Certain country needs to draw lessons from what happened in Afghanistan, abandon double standard on combating terrorism, unconditionally return to Afghanistan its overseas assets, lift unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan, and take concrete actions to fulfill responsibilities to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.
China firmly supports the Palestinian people’s just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights. The fundamental solution to the Palestinian question is to establish an independent state of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 border and with east Jerusalem as its capital. The international community needs to step up development assistance and humanitarian aid to Palestine, and help meet Palestine’s economic and livelihood needs. It is important to keep to the right direction of peace talks, respect the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem, refrain from making radical and provocative comments and moves, promote the hosting of an international peace conference with wider participation, higher authority and greater influence, create conditions for the resumption of peace talks, and make concrete efforts to help the two states of Palestine and Israel to coexist peacefully. China will play an active role in facilitating Palestine’s internal reconciliation and peace talks.
China believes that regional hotspots such as the Iranian nuclear issue and the issues of Syria, Sudan, Libya and Yemen need to be resolved through political means. China supports Middle East countries in independently exploring development paths, resolving regional security issues through solidarity and coordination, and maintaining lasting peace and security in the region. China supports African countries in solving African issues in the African way to restore peace and stability on the African continent, supports African countries and people in independently choosing their paths to modernization, and supports Africa in speaking with one voice on international affairs and continuously elevating its international standing. China will enhance solidarity and coordination with the African side, and jointly implement the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, to help Africa bring its integration and modernization onto a fast track. China firmly opposes certain country’s wanton use of unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and believes that conditions should be created for the developing countries to grow their economy and improve the people’s well-being.
China strongly condemns all forms of terrorism and extremism. China opposes associating terrorism and extremism with any particular country, ethnic group or religion, opposes double standard on counter-terrorism, and opposes politicizing or instrumentalizing the issue of counter-terrorism. It is important to take a holistic approach and address both the symptoms and root causes in fighting terrorism, so as to eradicate the breeding ground of terrorism at the source. China supports the U.N. in playing a central and coordinating role to help developing countries build capacity for fighting terrorism, form greater synergy worldwide against terrorism, and address the challenges brought by emerging technologies.
Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must never be fought. The international community should jointly oppose the threat or use of nuclear weapons. China supports greater efforts to reduce strategic risks based on the joint statement by the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states on preventing nuclear war. Nuclear disarmament should be advanced in a step-by-step manner under the principles of “maintaining global strategic stability” and “undiminished security for all.” Countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfill their special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament, continue to effectively implement the New START Treaty, and make further substantial and substantive cuts to their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner, so as to create conditions for achieving the ultimate goal of general and complete nuclear disarmament. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the bedrock of international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and an important part of the post-war international security system. It plays an irreplaceable role in promoting world peace and development. The international community should advance the three pillars of the NPT in a balanced way and jointly safeguard the treaty’s authority, effectiveness and universality.
China pays great attention to nuclear security. It has proposed a rational, coordinated, and balanced approach to nuclear security and worked actively for a global community of shared future on nuclear security. Nuclear security is a lifeline in the development of nuclear energy and application of nuclear technology. Peaceful uses of nuclear energy should not be pursued at the expense of the environment and human health. The Japanese government should respond fully to the international community’s major concerns on the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima, shoulder its moral responsibilities and obligations under international law, and stop discharging the nuclear-contaminated water. The Japanese government needs to show sincerity and have full communication with neighboring countries, accept strict international oversight, and ensure that the contaminated water is disposed of in a science-based, safe and transparent manner.
China is committed to upholding the authority and effectiveness of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (CWC) and to achieving the goal of a world free of chemical weapons. China urges Japan to speed up the destruction of abandoned chemical weapons in China. China upholds the CWC as a guideline for properly settling hotspot issues concerning chemical weapons, opposes politicization, and promotes international cooperation on peaceful uses of chemistry.
II. Improving global development governance and jointly pursuing global sustainable development
Development is the eternal pursuit of mankind and the shared responsibility of all countries. President Xi Jinping has proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and called on the international community to strengthen unity and mutual trust, put development first, and address challenges together, thus boosting efforts to bring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development back on track.
With the implementation of the GDI as a main focus, China will push for international efforts to consolidate and expand consensus on development and keep development front and center on the global agenda. China will pursue greater synergy of development strategies at the global, regional, subregional and national levels, including synergy between the GDI and the U.N. development agenda, to achieve complementarity and interconnected development. More will be done to harness the development resources of governments, the business community, the academia and civil societies, improve the allocation of global development resources, deepen practical cooperation in the priority areas of the GDI, and work with all sides to enrich the open-ended pool of GDI projects. China calls on developed countries to deliver on their commitments on official development assistance and climate financing, address the uneven distribution of global development resources, pay attention to development knowledge sharing, and provide capacity-building support to developing countries.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past decade, China has championed the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit, and focused on enhancing policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity, with a view to delivering development and prosperity to all countries. In October this year, China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. That will be an opportunity for China to push for higher-level cooperation, better cost-effectiveness, higher-quality supply, and stronger development resilience in Belt and Road cooperation and work with all parties to deepen exchange and cooperation across the board, enhance the complementarity and synergy between the BRI and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and make greater contributions to global development.
China supports efforts to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. The international community needs to stick to opening up as the overall direction, uphold multilateralism, firmly safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, promote connectivity, and encourage integrated development; stick to equality as the basis, respect the social systems and development paths of different countries, and make the global economic governance system more just and equitable; and stick to cooperation as a driving force, pursue extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.
Food security is essential for human survival. It is an important part of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China supports U.N. agencies in leveraging their professional expertise and coordinating role to mobilize scaled up assistance from the international community, developed countries in particular, to meet the pressing needs of people in relevant countries. The international community needs to step up cooperation to establish a fair, equitable, sustainable and stable order for agricultural trade, and avoid politicizing and weaponizing food security issues. Greater support should be given to developing countries, especially the most vulnerable countries, to help them enhance capacity for food security.
China supports the pursuit of green and low-carbon development. In the course of a just energy transition, the different national realities and capabilities of countries should be fully respected, and traditional energy should be phased out on the basis of ensuring safe and reliable alternative energy sources. The grave challenges of energy security are essentially caused by disruption in supply chain and international cooperation, not by production or demand. China firmly opposes attempts to politicize, instrumentalize and weaponize energy issues. Countries should work together to ensure smooth supply chains, stabilize the energy market and prices, and strive for the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
China attaches great importance to addressing climate change and maintains that countries should work in concert within multilateral frameworks to tackle this pressing global challenge. It is important to stick to the objectives, principles and institutional arrangements outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement, especially the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Developed countries should face their historical responsibilities squarely, take the lead in significantly reducing emissions, and deliver on their commitments of financial, technical and capacity-building support to developing countries. China will work with the rest of the international community to push for the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and to foster a fair, equitable, cooperative and win-win system of global climate governance.
Ⅲ. Advancing global human rights and social governance and jointly promoting civilizational exchange and progress
Equal-footed exchange and mutual learning between different civilizations will provide robust spiritual guidance for humanity in resolving the challenges of our times and realizing common development. In proposing the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), President Xi Jinping aims to promote the exchange and mutual learning between civilizations, enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people of all countries, build international consensus for cooperation and advance the progress of human civilizations. This has injected strong impetus to the modernization of human society and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
We need to respect the diversity of civilizations, uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and let cultural exchange transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and coexistence transcend feelings of superiority. We need to jointly advocate humanity’s common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, reject imposing values and models on others, and oppose stoking ideological confrontation. We need to attach importance to the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, fully harness the relevance of histories and cultures to the present times, and push for creative transformation and innovative development of all fine traditional cultures in the process of modernization.
Human rights for all is the shared pursuit of humanity. People’s happiness is the biggest human right. In advancing human rights, countries should put the people front and center, make the people’s aspirations for a better life their starting point and ultimate goal, and keep making efforts to resolve the most practical problems that are of the greatest and most direct concern to the people, so that people can lead a good life. We must safeguard people’s democratic rights, fully inspire their motivation, initiative and creativity, and ensure that the people run the country, enjoy human rights equally, and become the chief participants, promoters and beneficiaries in human rights advancement.
There is no one-size-fits-all model for promoting and protecting human rights. All countries’ independent choice of their own path of human rights development should be respected. Human rights have historical, specific and practical contexts. Countries vary from one another in historical background, cultural heritage, social systems and levels of socio-economic development. Their paths of human rights advancement can have inevitable differences. They need to combine the principle of universality of human rights and their national conditions and advance human rights in light of national realities and the needs of their people. Human rights issues should not be politicized or used as a tool, double standard should be rejected, and still less should human rights be used as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs or encircle and contain other countries as they pursue development.
Human rights is an all-encompassing, rich concept. All aspects of human rights are equally important and should be advanced in a coordinated and systematic way. Among them the rights to subsistence and development are the basic human rights of paramount importance, and economic, social and cultural rights should be accorded enough attention. Long-standing issues, such as racial discrimination, religious hatred and the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights should be effectively addressed as soon as possible. Emerging issues including digital technology and artificial intelligence in relation to human rights should receive due attention and be addressed properly.
Promoting and protecting human rights requires concerted effort of the international community. Human rights should be safeguarded through enhancing security. It is important to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, jointly follow a path of peaceful development, implement the GSI and create a peaceful environment for the realization of human rights. Human rights should be advanced through development. It is important to implement the GDI, make development more inclusive, universally beneficial and sustainable, and make sure that development is for the people and by the people, and that its fruits are shared among the people. Human rights should be facilitated through cooperation. It is important to implement the GCI, engage in human rights exchange and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, inclusiveness and equality, learn from each other, build consensus and jointly pursue human rights progress.
The Human Rights Council and other U.N. human rights bodies should be platforms for dialogue and cooperation, not places for confrontation and pressuring. The U.N. human rights bodies should adhere to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, uphold the principles of impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity and non-politicization, conduct constructive dialogue and cooperation with Member States, respect the sovereignty of all countries, and perform within their mandate in an objective and impartial manner. The underrepresentation of developing countries in the staff composition of the U.N. human rights bodies should be changed as soon as possible. International human rights dialogue and cooperation should be further promoted through commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the healthy development of the global human rights cause.
Promoting the cause of women and children is an important aspect of social governance. The international community needs to keep working hard to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and put the protection of the rights and interests of women and children high on their agenda. National strategies for the development of women and children should be formulated and improved, comprehensive measures taken to ensure that women and children enjoy the various benefits of development, and the development of women and children kept in step with socio-economic progress. We should support the U.N. in its leading and coordinating role and strengthen international cooperation on the cause of women and children.
Education is an important force for the progress of human civilization. China stands ready to work with countries around the world for more educational exchange, enhance openness in education and actively support other developing countries in advancing education. We call on all countries to step up input in education and enhance its equity, inclusiveness and safety. We support the U.N.’s important role in realizing the sustainable development goal on education, the efforts to promote global peace and sustainable development through reform and development of education, and contribute to realizing equality in education opportunities and universal benefits of educational advancement, to realize the SDG on education in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ⅳ. Developing global governance of new frontiers and building a governance framework for the future
The progress and development of science and technology has enriched the denotations and connotations of the concepts of international peace and security. The deep sea, polar regions, outer space, cyberspace and digital technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) have become new frontiers of global governance. Faced with the new circumstances, new areas and new challenges, we need to follow the principles of peace, development, inclusiveness and shared governance, and take active steps to keep the rules governing new frontiers up to date with the times and fully reflective of developing countries’ opinions, interests and aspirations. The rights to participation, stating their views, and decision-making of developing countries should be fully safeguarded.
Scientific and technological advances should benefit all humanity, not becoming means of restricting and containing other countries’ development. Certain countries must not erode the governance of new frontiers with their hegemonic mentality, overstretch the concept of national security and build “small yards with high fences” with their advantage in science and technology. Countries need to seize the historic opportunity of the new round of scientific, technological and industrial revolution, accelerate translating scientific and technological advances into productivity, uncover new drivers of growth in the post-COVID era, and work together to leapfrog progress in development. The U.N. should play the core role in implementing the resolution of the General Assembly entitled “Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security,” ensure that developing countries fully enjoy the right to peaceful uses of science and technology to facilitate the realization of sustainable development goals, and effectively respond to security risks posed by scientific and technological development. China will enhance international exchange and cooperation in science and technology with a more open mind and actions, work with other countries to foster an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory environment for the development of science and technology, and promote mutual and shared benefit, to tap into China’s strength in science and technology for advancing human development.
The development of AI benefits all countries, and all countries should be able to participate extensively in the global governance of AI. All parties should follow the principles of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, give play to the role of the U.N. as the main channel, and promote a people-centered approach and such visions as AI for good, emphasis on development and priority for ethics. All parties should work for greater representation and voice of developing countries, and shape widely accepted AI governance framework, standards and norms, and ensure that AI is safe, reliable and controllable, and that all countries share in the benefits of AI technologies.
The international community should commit to upholding a cyberspace featuring peace, security, openness and cooperation, and oppose the camp-based division, militarization and fragmentation of cyberspace. No party should overstretch the concept of national security, or unscrupulously deprive another country of its legitimate right to development. Advantage in cyber technologies should not be used to spread aggressive cyber technologies, or turn cyberspace into a new battleground for geopolitical competition. It is important to reject unilateral protectionism, uphold the principles of openness, fairness and non-discrimination, and create a sound, open and inclusive environment for building important international infrastructure such as submarine cables. China supports the U.N. in playing a leading role in global digital governance and rules-making. China stands ready to work with all parties to find solutions to acute issues in digital development and global digital governance, build international consensus, and develop international rules on digital governance based on the Global Initiative on Data Security. All parties should uphold multilateralism, stay committed to fairness and justice, both pursue development and safeguard security, deepen dialogue and cooperation, improve the global digital governance system, and work for a community with a shared future in cyberspace. Cybercrimes are a common threat facing all countries. China supports negotiations chaired by the U.N. to formulate a universal and authoritative global convention, to create a legal framework for countries to strengthen international cooperation against cybercrimes.
China attaches great importance to biosecurity and is committed to improving global biosecurity governance. China supports States Parties in jointly implementing the outcomes of the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention and facilitating substantive outcomes achieved by the working group on the strengthening of the Convention. China supports strengthening the Convention mechanism by resuming multilateral negotiations on a Convention verification protocol. Meanwhile, the international community should work together to advocate responsible biological research and development, and encourage all stakeholders to voluntarily observe the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists, in order to reduce biosecurity risks and promote the sound development of biological science and technology.
Oceans hold great significance for the survival and development of human society. China will work with all countries to uphold the maritime order based on international law, properly address all kinds of common maritime threats and challenges under the framework of the GSI, develop and utilize marine resources in a science-based and orderly manner under the framework of the GDI, advance marine governance cooperation based on equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect, safeguard maritime peace and tranquility and waterway security, build a maritime community with a shared future, and promote steady progress of the global maritime cause.
Peaceful exploration and use of outer space is an equal right for all countries in the world. Lasting peace and security in outer space bears on the security, development and prosperity of all countries. China has all along upheld the principle of exploration and use of outer space for the well-being of the entire humanity, and safeguarded the international order in outer space with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 as the cornerstone. On the basis of equality, mutual respect, peaceful use and inclusive development, China carries out international cooperation on outer space, opposes the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space, and advocates building a community with a shared future for mankind in outer space. Countries that are major players in outer space should take up primary responsibility for safeguarding peace and security in outer space. China supports the U.N. in giving full play to its role as the main platform for global governance and international cooperation on outer space, and supports early start of negotiations and conclusion of a legal instrument on arms control in outer space through negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament..
V. Strengthening the core role of the U.N. and advancing the reform of the global governance system
In the Declaration on the Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations, the countries committed to strengthen global governance for the common future of present and coming generations. The Summit of the Future in 2024 presents an opportunity for us to, with a sense of responsibility to succeeding generations, cement solidarity and cooperation, advance the reform of the global governance system, and support the U.N. in better playing its role.
China takes an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system. It practices consultation, cooperation and shared benefits in global governance, upholds true multilateralism, promotes greater democracy in international relations, and works for more just and equitable global governance. The key to the reform of the global governance system lies in balancing fairness and efficiency, keeping up with the evolved international political and economic landscape, meeting the practical need to address global challenges, and being in tune with the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit.
China firmly supports the core role of the U.N. in international affairs. The reform of the U.N. should be conducive to safeguarding multilateralism and the role of the U.N., increasing the voice of developing countries in international affairs, and boosting the enforcement capacity and management efficiency of U.N. agencies. It is important to follow the basic principle of equal-footed consultation in the U.N., and help the U.N. stand firm for justice, uphold the rule of law, promote cooperation and focus on real action.
China supports necessary and equitable reform of the Security Council to boost its authority and efficiency, enhance its capacity to tackle global threats and challenges, and let it better fulfill its mandate prescribed in the U.N. Charter. The Security Council should not become a club of the big countries or rich countries. Its reform should credibly increase the representation and voice of developing countries, redress the historical injustices done to Africa, and give more developing countries with independent foreign policies and just positions the opportunity to sit on the Security Council and participate in its decision-making. China supports making special arrangements to meet Africa’s aspiration as a priority. Security Council reform concerns the future of the U.N. and the fundamental interests of the entire membership. All parties should uphold the role of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform as the main channel, follow the member state-led principle, reach the most extensive political consensus through full and democratic consultation, and seek a package solution that addresses the interests and concerns of all parties on the five clusters of key issues related to the reform.
China advocates strengthening communication and cooperation among mechanisms such as the U.N., the G20, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to enhance macroeconomic policy coordination and improve global economic governance. It is important to boost the capacity and efficiency of international financial institutions in operation and fund-raising, increase the representation and voice of developing countries in international financial institutions, raise the efficiency of using reserve assets such as Special Drawing Rights, step up investment in international public goods urgently needed by developing countries, and ensure participation of multilateral creditors in joint handling of debts.
China supports necessary and equitable reform of the global health governance system, to raise the efficiency of the system, better respond to global public health crises, and build a global community of health for all. China supports the World Health Organization in playing a central coordinating role in global health governance and in strengthening cooperation on public health with all sides in an objective, just and science-based manner. China will continue to support and participate in science-based global origins-tracing, and firmly opposes political manipulation of any form.