UN marks 81st anniversary in Beijing, highlighting China's role in advancing int'l cooperation

The United Nations (UN) in China held a commemorative event in Beijing on Thursday to mark the 81st anniversary of the UN.

The UN Day, observed annually on October 24, marks the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.

This year's event brought together senior representatives from the Chinese government, UN member states and agencies, academia, civil society, and international organizations, among other guests.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a video message to the event, which was held at the UN compound in the Chinese capital.

The UN chief opened his remarks by saying that "humanity's future depends on our ability to work together to advance peace, development and human rights."

The world is shaken by conflict, battered by the climate crisis, scarred by rising inequalities, and transformed by technologies speeding faster than humanity's ability to govern them, he warned.

Guterres called on all countries to reaffirm the values that gave birth to the United Nations: dialogue over division, cooperation over confrontation, and solidarity over fear.

Assistant Minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cai Wei and UN Resident Coordinator in China Stephen Jackson were among the guests who spoke at the event.

Cai said in his speech that China has been a firm supporter of the UN. Noting that this year marks the fifth anniversary of China's Global Development Initiative (GDI), he said China will leverage the GDI to continuously deepen cooperation with the UN development system and contribute to revitalizing the global development cause.

At the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed GDI, bringing a vision of shared development to the global agenda and calling for the benefits of development to be more widely shared.

Speaking to China Media Group, Jackson underscored China's essential role in advancing international cooperation, calling for closer collaboration between the UN and China to help solve global challenges.

"We need to get back to common approaches at the global level to solving common challenges, and China is essential to that. China has been a steadfast defender of the Charter, a steadfast defender of sovereign equality, and a steadfast defender of international cooperation. I think [the UN and China need] to work even harder together, to do even more together, to ensure that we get the world back to a moment and a habit of cooperation," he said.

UN marks 81st anniversary in Beijing, highlighting China's role in advancing int'l cooperation

China hopes to take German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's upcoming state visit as an opportunity to make greater progress in bilateral relations, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Steinmeier will pay a state visit to China from October 27 to 31.

"German president will visit China again after nearly eight years. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Steinmeier. Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Zhao Leji will meet with him to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. Besides Beijing, President Steinmeier will also visit Anhui Province," said Mao.

"The sound and steady growth of the all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany, the world's second and third largest economies, not only serves the interests of both countries, but is also what Europe and the world hope to see. The past 54 years since diplomatic ties were established have shown that mutual respect and mutual trust are the bedrock for a stable relationship and mutual benefit the key to success in bilateral cooperation. Our two countries have built strategic consensus through close collaboration and achieved shared prosperity in practical cooperation, delivering tangible benefits to both peoples," she said.

"President Steinmeier, an old friend of the Chinese people, has actively contributed to the development of China-Germany relations. We hope to work with the German side to take this visit as an opportunity to cement mutual trust, deepen cooperation and seek joint innovation, so as to make greater progress in bilateral relations, contribute to steady and sustained growth of China-Europe relations, and bring fresh energy to the world," said the spokeswoman.

China ready to work with Germany to make greater progress in bilateral relations: spokeswoman