Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, delivers a keynote speech during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb 18, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING – The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, slated for November in the United States this year, is supposed to be a stage for promoting cooperation, instead of a wrestling ground for provoking confrontations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a press conference held on a white paper titled "A Global Community of Shared Future: China's Proposals and Actions”.

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As the largest developing country and an important member of APEC, China is willing to play a constructive role in the success of this year's APEC meeting, he said.

Wang voiced opposition to the clamoring of the so-called "democracy versus authoritarianism" narrative and any attempt to impose one's own values or development modes onto others

Wang expressed his hope that the US can be keenly aware of its duty as the host and showcase openness, fairness, inclusiveness and responsibility to create more favorable conditions for the smooth convocation of the meeting.

Wang stressed the need to uphold the equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness of civilizations.

He voiced opposition to the clamoring of the so-called "democracy versus authoritarianism" narrative and any attempt to impose one's own values or development modes onto others.

He said no civilization in the world is superior to others and one's values should not be used as a political tool or even a weapon to stir up confrontations.

China’s greater role

China has played an increasingly important role in global governance, Wang said, adding that multilateral diplomacy is an important way for China to participate in global governance and promote the building of a global community with a shared future.

China, as a responsible country, is never absent at multilateral forums in which it takes part, he said.

Resolve disputes through talks

Wang stressed the importance of resolving disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, urging the creation of a conducive environment for universal security.

Countries should value each other's legitimate security concerns, he said, expressing opposition to the arbitrary expansion of military alliances and the squeezing of the security space of other countries

Countries should value each other's legitimate security concerns, he said, expressing opposition to the arbitrary expansion of military alliances and the squeezing of the security space of other countries. 

Fruitful results

The building of a global community of shared future has gained fruitful achievements over the past decade, Wang said.

China has built communities of shared future with dozens of countries and regions, he said, noting that the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative have gained support from over 100 countries and the Global Civilization Initiative has received positive feedback from a number of countries.

China has also proposed solutions for responding to major global challenges in fields such as health, climate change, and cyber security, he added.

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The vision of a global community of shared future has been written into UN Assembly Resolutions for six consecutive years and incorporated in several multilateral mechanism resolutions and declarations, said the foreign minister. 

The vision has been supported by the international community, especially developing countries, he added.

Lasting peace

Wang called for efforts to promote lasting peace and actively practice true multilateralism.

"We should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, as well as the development paths and social systems independently chosen by all the world's peoples," Wang said, adding that countries should make the process of world multipolarity more equal and orderly.

Wang said countries should reject exclusive and bloc-based "small circles" and embark on a new path of state-to-state relations based on communication, not confrontation, and based on partnership, not alliance

Wang said countries should reject exclusive and bloc-based "small circles" and embark on a new path of state-to-state relations based on communication, not confrontation, and based on partnership, not alliance.  

Globalization

Wang also called for injecting more confidence into common development by focusing on guiding and maintaining the right course of globalization.

He stressed that countries should oppose decoupling, severing supply chains and building "small yard, high fence.

Countries should resist protectionism and unilateral sanctions, he added, calling for building a system of fair, reasonable, and transparent international economic and trade rules.

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Wang noted the need to bring development issues back to the core of the international agenda so that developing countries can be better integrated into the international division of labor, and let the gains of development benefit more people across the world in a more equitable way.

He said that China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October, and is ready to take this opportunity to work with all parties for common development and cooperation.