Chinese premier pledges joint efforts with Cyprus to expand trade

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Thursday that China is ready to work with Cyprus to continuously expand the scale and optimize the structure of bilateral trade, and explore the potential for cooperation in emerging fields.

Li made the remarks in his meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on the sidelines of the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Despite the geographical distance between China and Cyprus, their friendly exchanges have a long history, Li said.

Next year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the fifth anniversary of their strategic partnership, ushering in new opportunities for the further deepening and development of bilateral cooperation, he said.

Li pledged China's readiness to work with Cyprus to carry forward their traditional friendship, strengthen high-level exchanges, uphold mutual respect, mutual trust, openness and cooperation, and push bilateral relations to new heights, so as to achieve more practical outcomes and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Noting that China understands and supports Cyprus in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, Li said China appreciates Cyprus for adhering to the one-China principle.

China is willing to work with Cyprus to further align their development strategies, and better leverage mechanisms such as the joint economic and trade committee, Li said.

He also expressed China's readiness to deepen and solidify cooperation in shipping, tap the potential for cooperation in emerging fields such as clean energy, as well as enhance exchanges in education, culture, youth and on local levels, so as to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

China is willing to import more high-quality agricultural and food products from Cyprus, Li said, urging the Cypriot side to continue to foster a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment, and provide more policy support for business cooperation between the two countries.

Noting that the current international situation is marked by changes and turbulence, Li said China is willing to work closely with Cyprus in multilateral coordination, jointly practice true multilateralism, safeguard and promote free trade, and push for a more just and equitable global governance system.

China welcomes the Cypriot side to actively participate in the Global Governance Initiative, he said.

Li also expressed hope that Cyprus will continue to play a significant role in promoting the European Union (EU) to adhere to a rational and practical policy toward China, and in maintaining the right direction of the development of China-EU relations.

For his part, Christodoulides said that Cyprus-China relations are founded on mutual understanding and mutual support. Cyprus firmly adheres to the one-China policy and highly values the strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.

Cyprus looks forward to enhancing high-level exchanges with China, consolidating bilateral friendship and mutual trust, deepening cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, investment, agriculture and sports, and strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges, he said.

The president said Cyprus will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year and will actively promote dialogue and cooperation between the EU and China.

Cyprus is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with China, uphold the authority of the UN Charter and international law, defend multilateralism, and jointly address challenges, he added.

Chinese premier pledges joint efforts with Cyprus to expand trade

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival