'China's solution': Beijing touts Xi's governance plan amid global turmoil while raising concern over Iran
‘China’s solution’: Beijing touts Xi’s governance plan amid global turmoil while raising concern over Iran
Global conflicts over the past year have pushed the world towards a watershed moment, a spokesperson for China’s National People’s Congress said ahead of its annual meeting to be held from Mar 5 to 12.
BEIJING: Against the backdrop of US military actions in Iran, Venezuela and rhetoric over Greenland, a senior Chinese official has stressed that no country has the right to dominate global affairs or dictate the fate of others.
National People’s Congress (NPC) spokesperson Lou Qinjian on Wednesday (Mar 4) also urged respect for sovereignty and adherence to international rules amid a fraught geopolitical landscape.
He further highlighted President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, framing it as “China’s solution” to build a more just and equitable global governance system as conflicts erupt around the world.
“No country has the right to dominate international affairs, dictate the destiny of other countries or monopolise development advantages, let alone impose whatever it wishes on the world,” Lou said in a news conference ahead of the opening of China’s legislature on Thursday.
Lou did not single out a specific country, but he was responding to a question by a Turkish reporter, who cited concerns in the international community about rising unilateralism and the weakening of global governance institutions.
The journalist referenced recent global developments, including the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, Washington’s capture of Venezuela’s president and US President Donald Trump’s stated intent to take over Greenland.
Lou said China was gravely concerned about the situation in Iran and called for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to dialogue.
“Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected,” he said.
Lou said the global landscape has been moving towards an “important watershed” in the past year, with economic globalisation facing severe shocks while wars and cross-border conflicts become more frequent.
“In the face of a changing and turbulent world, peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the only way out,” he said.
Lou pointed to China’s efforts on this front, highlighting Xi’s Global Governance Initiative. The Chinese supremo unveiled his sweeping vision for global governance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in September last year.
The initiative calls for sovereign equality, adherence to international law, the practice of multilateralism, a people-centred approach and greater focus on concrete actions, Lou said, adding that it offers “China’s solution” for making global governance more just and equitable.
Lou also stressed the importance of strengthening the United Nations (UN), noting that the international body was created in the aftermath of two world wars.
“More than 80 years of practice has shown that the role of the United Nations can only be strengthened, not weakened, and that its status must be upheld, not replaced,” he said, adding that China was willing to work with other countries in doing so.
The wide-ranging news conference on Wednesday saw Lou addressing issues ranging from global governance and international relations to efforts to boost domestic consumption and the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan.
Geopolitical tensions featured prominently, with four out of the 14 questions Lou fielded touching on foreign policy and China’s external relationships.
On US-China ties, Lou said the two countries should “respect each other, coexist peacefully and pursue win-win cooperation,” adding that Beijing was willing to maintain communication with Washington at all levels while safeguarding its own “sovereignty, security and development interests”.
Lou’s remarks come ahead of an expected visit to China by Trump later this month, setting the stage for his first meeting with Xi since October last year.
It is scheduled for Mar 31 to Apr 2, according to a White House official. Beijing has yet to formally confirm the trip, saying only that the two sides are “in communication”.
Analysts have said the in-person meeting could provide an opportunity for the two sides to stabilise ties amid persistent tensions over trade, technology and geopolitics.