China upholds genuine multilateralism: Wang Yi

JAKARTA -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that the idea of multilateralism should be earnestly upheld, principles of multilateralism be maintained, and various kinds of pseudo-multilateralism be resisted.

Wang said at a joint press conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi that the international community is expecting the incoming U.S. administration to return to multilateralism, and China also welcomes this.

The Chinese state councilor said that genuine multilateralism means adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, and it also requires respect for sovereignty of all countries as well as equality of all countries, large or small.

Wang noted that upholding genuine multilateralism should adhere to the diversity of the world, respect the legitimate development rights and independent development paths of all countries, and promote the democratization of international relations.

China is against the closed-group politics in the name of multilateralism, opposes imposing rules made by a handful of countries to the international community, and resists ideologizing multilateralism to forge value-based alliances targeting specific countries, he said.

Wang stressed that world peace, stability and development could be maintained only by upholding genuine multilateralism. Promoting pseudo-multilateralism will create new differences and trigger new conflicts, and the international community should be alert to this, he said. 

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