Fairness, justice most important value of international community, says Chinese premier

Fairness and justice stand as the most important value of the international community, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the United Nations on Friday.

Li made the remarks when delivering a speech at the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

Noting peace and development are the most ardent common aspiration across the world, he said that solidarity and cooperation represent the most powerful source of strength for human progress.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Li noted, adding that some valuable lessons can be drawn from history.

Li stressed that China, as a founding member of the United Nations, has all along taken an active part in global affairs and worked for the betterment of humanity.

Over the years, Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), sharing China's wisdom and solution for navigating global transformations and overcoming pressing challenges, Li said.

In particular, the GGI proposed at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Tianjin Summit at the beginning of this month underscores the principles of adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by the international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions, Li said, noting that the initiative provides an important pathway for building a more just and equitable global governance system.

He pledged China's readiness to work with all parties to take coordinated and effective actions to solve more practical problems and promote world peace and development.

The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, Li said, noting that unilateralism and Cold War mentality are resurfacing, severely undermining the international rules and order and disrupting the international system.

Humanity once again comes to a crossroads, Li said.

Li said that anyone who cares about the state of affairs in the world would want to ask: Why couldn't we humans, having emerged from tribulations, adopt a greater sense of conscience and rationality, and treat each other with kindness and coexist in peace?

Li questioned how people could turn a blind eye to atrocities that trample blatantly on fairness and justice. Li further asked how, in the face of unscrupulous acts of hegemonism and bullying, people could stay silent and submissive out of fear of power.

Li also pondered how people could allow the ardent passion and dedication of their forefathers in founding the UN to simply fade into the pages of history.

Quoting a Chinese saying that "never forget why you started, and you can accomplish your mission," Li said the pursuit of peace, progress and development is the very essence of commemorating past victories and the shared mission uniting the world's people in common cause.

While we may not be able to go back in time and relive the victory, we can definitely create a better future together, Li said.

At a time when the world faces intertwined changes and turmoil, the Chinese premier called on all sides to build peace and ensure common security.

In the face of a sluggish global recovery, he called for revitalizing cooperation and seeking win-win outcomes.

As diverse civilizations interact and evolve, he urged championing dialogue and mutual learning. In responding to emerging challenges, he urged joint efforts to protect the shared home.

Li said China will always be a staunch defender of world peace and security, a key driver of global common development, an active practitioner of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and a responsible stakeholder in addressing global challenges.

China stands ready to work with all parties to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, carry forward the spirit of multilateralism, and actively implement the four major global initiatives, and advance toward the lofty goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity, said Li.

Fairness, justice most important value of international community, says Chinese premier

Fairness, justice most important value of international community, says Chinese premier

Fairness, justice most important value of international community, says Chinese premier

Chinese premier delivers speech at general debate of UN General Assembly

Chinese premier delivers speech at general debate of UN General Assembly

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.

Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.

"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.

The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.

Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar