Wang Yi Meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres via Video Link

On September 27, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres via video link.

Wang Yi said, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is a historical milestone in the great march of the Chinese people toward modernization. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of China's restoration of its lawful seat in the United Nations (UN), which is also a momentous landmark for China's exchanges and cooperation with the UN. China has always attached great importance to its cooperation with the UN. Over the past 50 years, China has been a staunch supporter and contributor to the UN. We will continue to firmly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, and firmly support the UN in playing its due role in international affairs.

Wang Yi said, at present, the compounded impact of the pandemic and the changes in the international landscape, both rarely seen in a century, makes the world full of uncertainties and instabilities. Mr. Secretary-General calls on the international community to stop being divided and the world to stop falling into a new Cold War. China shares the same view. We firmly oppose any words and deeds that create division or trumpet a new Cold War. As a responsible major country, China will continue to be a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of the international order and provider of public goods. China's development has been and will continue to be a strengthening force for peace and justice. China will make new contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind.

Wang Yi said, in response to the impact of the pandemic on global recovery and the difficulties faced by developing countries in economic development, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is in urgent need of new impetus. President Xi Jinping solemnly proposed the Global Development Initiative at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly. China welcomes the active participation of all parties to form international consensus and take common actions.

Guterres congratulated the CPC on its centenary and China on the 50th anniversary of the restoration of its lawful seat in the UN. He highly appreciates China's firm support for multilateralism and the core position of the UN for a long time. He said that the UN attaches great importance to and appreciates the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, and the UN will strengthen international coordination to promote its implementation.

Guterres said, China is a leader in global development and plays a leading role in major global agendas. The UN is ready to work closely with China to uphold and practice multilateralism, advocate international relations based on mutual respect, and jointly respond to global challenges, in particular, promote the international community to provide greater support and assistance to developing countries in recovering from COVID-19 and tackling climate change. The UN speaks highly of China's announcement that it will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, which is China's new contribution to the fight against climate change.

The two sides also exchanged views on China-U.S. relations. Wang Yi briefly introduced the current state of China-U.S. relations, saying that the rights and wrongs of China-U.S. relations are clear. In the face of the United States' arbitrary oppression and disinformation campaign, China has no choice but to stand up and firmly respond to it, so as to safeguard state sovereignty and national dignity, Chinese people's legitimates right to development and to uphold the basic norms governing international relations, promote international fairness, justice and the common interests of developing countries. The United States recently said that it does not want confrontation or Cold War and hopes that bilateral relations can return to the right track. But the key is to take concrete actions to bring the United States' policy toward China back to a rational and pragmatic track. If the United States honors its commitments, China is willing to work in the same spirit to provide an good answer to the question of where China-U.S. relations are heading and deliver a satisfactory response to the two peoples on how to improve our bilateral relations.