Chinese FM puts forward four propositions for practicing true multilateralism

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chairs the UN Security Council's high-level videoconference briefing on "Maintenance of international peace and security: Upholding multilateralism and the United Nations-centered international system" on May 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, calling for win-win cooperation to practice true multilateralism.

Under the initiative of China, the rotating presidency of the UNSC this month, the UNSC held the meeting on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the UN-centered International System" via video link.

Wang put forward four propositions for all parties to practice true multilateralism:

Firstly, all parties should pursue win-win cooperation, not zero-sum game. All countries should conduct dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. No country should expect others to lose, but should strive to win together with other countries to achieve universal security and common prosperity.

Secondly, all parties should seek fairness and justice, not bullying.

Wang said the core is to promote the democratization of international relations, so that all countries share the responsibility for governance and jointly promote peaceful development, and the key is to promote the rule of law in international relations, abide by universally recognized international laws and mutually agreed international agreements.

International rules are not the patents and privileges of a few countries, and should be abided by all countries, without exceptionalism and double standards, he added.

Thirdly, all parties should focus on action, instead of only talking the talk.

Multilateralism must focus on problems and solve problems, otherwise it will not stand and go far, Wang said, adding that all countries should incorporate their national interests into global interests.

He said all countries should consider both the present and the long-term interests, and must not undermine the sustained peace of the world and the sustainable development of the world at the cost of short-term need.

"In particular, major countries must set an example and take the lead in providing global public goods," Wang said.
Fourthly, all parties should respect diversity, and refrain from pursuing supremacy.

Each country has its own unique history and culture, and needs to take a development path that suits its own national conditions, Wang said, adding that dividing the world by ideology runs counter to the spirit of multilateralism and represents a retrogression of history.

"All countries are happy to see the United States change its practices in the past few years, truly practice multilateralism, and make its contributions to this end," Wang said.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Mexico, Vietnam, Niger, Tunisia, Kenya, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, U.S. secretary of state and the deputy foreign ministers of India, Britain and France attended the meeting. President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir briefed the meeting.

Hailing China's initiative to hold this meeting, the participants agreed that under the current situation, the international community should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, continue to follow the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN, and strengthen the authority and role of the UN.

They also believed that all parties should join hands to respond to global challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change, uphold the UN-centered international system, maintain international peace and promote common development.