Statement
Statement summary
Li Qiang, Premier of China, said that the past 80 years of the United Nations have been “torturous but purposeful”. Peace and development are the strongest aspirations of peoples of all countries, and it is incumbent on the current generation to strengthen their voices. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful drivers for human progress. “Solidarity lifts everyone up while division drags all down,” he said. The road ahead might be bumpy, but when all countries unite and collaborate in good faith, they are a mighty force that can withstand any headwind. Fairness and justice are the most important values pursued by the international community. When might dictates right, the world “risks division and regression”. The major countries, in particular, should uphold justice while pursuing interests, he asserted.
The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, with unilateralism re-emerging, he emphasized. The once effective international system is constantly disrupted, with “distressing and worrying” outcomes. “Humanity has once again come to a cross-roads,” he said, asking how the world can allow the ardent passion of the UN founders to fade into history. Citing the maxim, “Never forget why you started, and you can accomplish your mission”, he stressed: “We can definitely create a better future together.” China’s Global Governance Initiative underscores the principles of sovereign equality — practicing multilateralism, taking a people-centred approach, focusing on real actions and offering a pathway to a more just, equitable governance system. His country is ready to coordinate and take effective actions to promote global peace and development.
“All countries belong to the same global village and rely on each other for security,” he said, adding that the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be respected, and differences settled peacefully through dialogue. China is the biggest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and, of the permanent Council Members, the largest provider of peacekeepers. It will continue to promote peace talks on Ukraine and the Palestine-Israel conflict. Cooperation must be reinvigorated and win-win results pursued, he said, pointing to unilateral and protectionist measures, such as tariff hikes, as a major cause of sluggish global growth. He called for closer collaboration to identify and expand the convergence of interests, for promoting universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and for helping each other succeed by moving in the same direction. China has been a steady contributor to global development, including by opening its doors to the world and lowering its tariff level.
Every civilization deserves respect, he said, stressing that obsession with “civilizational superiority” only breeds more division and confrontation. Adopting an inclusive attitude is a sure way to build more consensus and collective strength. Over the next five years, China will carry out 50 development cooperation programmes in the area of culture and civilization for fellow developing countries and host 200 thematic training and seminar programmes on inter-civilizational dialogue and progress. On climate change, he said countries must uphold common but differentiated responsibilities and promote effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. As technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and biomanufacturing advance rapidly, he called for people-centred development, technology for good and equitable benefits. Rules and governance must be quickly strengthened, he added, highlighting that his country has the largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system and has proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday marked the UN’s 80th anniversary with a call for world leaders to defend multilateralism, reject “Cold War” thinking and step up cooperation in the face of global turmoil.
*****
Read also the UN News stories in Hindi, Kiswahili and Urdu about the declaration made by the Premier of the State Council at the General Debate.
*****
“Solidarity lifts everyone up, while division drags all down,” Mr. Li told the General Assembly, warning that unilateralism and protectionism were undermining the international order built over decades.
Humanity, he said, “has once again come to a crossroads.”
Premier Li recalled the defeat of fascism and the founding of the UN eight decades ago, saying the lessons of history demanded renewed commitment to peace, fairness and justice.
“When might dictates right, the world risks division and regression,” he said, urging that all countries, “big or small, be treated as equals.”
China, Mr. Li stressed, was committed to being a “staunch defender of world peace and security.”
He highlighted Beijing’s contributions to UN peacekeeping – the second-largest budgetary contributor and the largest troop contributor among Security Council permanent members – and its role in promoting political solutions to conflicts including Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine crisis.
On the global economy, the Chinese leader said sluggish growth was being worsened by “tariff hikes and erection of walls and barriers.” He pointed to his country’s steady expansion and role as a driver of global development, contributing about 30 percent of economic growth in recent years, and noted the country had lowered tariffs – while remaining the world’s second-largest importer for 16 consecutive years.
Reject ‘civilizational superiority’
China would continue to pursue “high-quality belt and road cooperation” with over 150 countries, he said, while opening its economy wider to the world.
Mr. Li also urged deeper exchanges between societies and warned against “civilizational superiority or ideology-based circles,” which he said bred confrontation.
Turning to global challenges, Mr. Li called for stronger collective action on climate change and emerging technologies.
He said China had built the world’s largest renewable energy system and was advancing low-carbon development. He also urged swift progress on international rules for artificial intelligence, reiterating Beijing’s call for a “world AI cooperation organization.”
As part of its UN engagement, Premier Li announced that China would present lunar soil samples scooped up by its latest robotic explorer from the far side of the moon – the first ever collected – to the United Nations.
He also said China would partner with the UN to establish a China-UN Global South–South Development Facility, with $10 million in initial funding, and a global centre for sustainable development in Shanghai in cooperation with the UN Development Program (UNDP).
“We should adhere to the principles of people-centered development, technology for good, and equitable benefits,” Mr. Li said.
Concluding his address, Mr. Li reaffirmed China’s support for reforms to make the UN “more efficient and representative.”
Full statement
Read the full statement, in PDF format.
Photo
Previous sessions
Access the statements from previous sessions.
Right of reply
The representative of China, responding to the Philippines, said that his country neither accepts or recognizes the arbitration ruling concerning the South China Sea nor does it accept any claims or actions based on it. Moreover, China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea remain unaffected by that so-called ruling under any circumstances, he added.
The representative of China, responding again to the Philippines, said that the dispute between the two countries regarding the South China Sea is a territorial and maritime delineation dispute that falls was outside the scope of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He added that China attaches great importance to protecting the environment of the South China Sea.