China's permanent representative to the United Nations has called for stronger international cooperation to make the world body more effective in tackling global challenges, urging countries, especially the five permanent members of the Security Council, to uphold international law and put the broader interests of the international community first.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), the ambassador said the UN remains an essential platform for countries to discuss and address issues such as climate change and artificial intelligence.
"The UN actually is useful, very useful, I would say. Looking ahead, with all these global challenges, the climate change, the AI and all these things, without the UN, then we don't even have a place to discuss all these issues. So the UN, as a convener, is very important. And of course, people want to see the UN play a bigger role, like in terms of mediating between countries in regional conflicts. And again, the UN can mediate, but it can only get its direction from the Security Council. So how to make the Security Council more effective, that is a big issue, a big question. But I think it is incumbent upon all countries, in particular the P5, to really work together on these conflict issues," he said.
The ambassador also stressed that UN members must balance their own needs with the needs of the international community, while acknowledging the responsibility of diplomats to safeguard their own countries' interests.
"We should not always be putting our national interest above the interests of the entire world. Of course, as diplomats, you have to bear in mind your national interests, and your job is to safeguard your national interests. But actually being a member of the United Nations, people need to realize that sometimes you need to give up some of your interests for the larger good. So you need to realize that dismantling the legal system of the world is not in anybody's interest. It's incumbent upon all countries to really uphold international law," he added.
Fu also commented on China-U.S. bilateral ties ahead of President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States from Sept 23 to 25 at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the ambassador, the relationship involves both cooperation and competition, and that differences should be managed responsibly.
"I think it's both. As I said, we have a lot to work together on, and naturally we have something that we disagree with each other on. We don't see eye to eye. Indeed, there is competition, like on the issue of AI, but it doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. And when there are differences, I think it is the responsibility and the job of diplomats to contain them and not to exaggerate it out of proportion. When we look at the global issues, it should not always be from the prism of China-U.S. competition. So that is something that is not very good, but it is almost always in the news," he added.
The ambassador said diplomats should maintain a clear-headed view of the relationship and work to promote cooperation for the benefit of both countries and the wider world.
Chinese ambassador calls for stronger UN role, upholding international law
