Representatives of Chinese and foreign experts discussed China's global influence at the Paris Peace Forum.
Xinhua News Agency, Paris, November 11 (Reporter Qiao Benxiao) The 9th Paris Peace Forum will be held in Paris, France from the 10th to the 11th. The theme of this forum is "From Sovereignty to Cooperation", focusing on how countries can maintain their own sovereignty while strengthening cooperation to respond to global challenges in the current backdrop of multilateralism under pressure. As a responsible central country, "China" has become a key word in the forum.
During the forum, a seminar titled "The Interpretation of China's Global Role and Influence" was held. Kong Quan, Director General of the Sixth Economic and Social Council of China, former Deputy Director of the Foreign Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and former Ambassador to France, attended the seminar as a guest. He said four keywords can help people better understand China's foreign policy: First, "responsibility." China, like governments of other countries, has the primary responsibility to promote its economic and social development; At the same time, China's development also benefits the world. The second is "mutual respect". Countries have different national conditions and development trajectories. China emphasizes mutually beneficial cooperation based on "harmony without difference" while resolutely safeguarding national interests. The third is "multilateralism". China opposes conflict between camps, advocates multilateralism, maintains the international system with the United Nations at its core, and supports increasing the representation and voice of countries in the Global South in international affairs. The fourth is "cooperation based on respect for sovereignty". "Sovereignty" and "cooperation" go hand in hand. China respects the sovereignty of all countries and appreciates their legitimate security concerns. Changes in the world have created new risk challenges, and countries need to be good at distinguishing between "real risks" and political "security anxiety".
Kong Quan said that China is a reliable partner, strategically stable and true to its word, and has always provided opportunities for development and international cooperation of all countries. China is willing to work with all parties to promote the implementation of global governance initiatives and promote the construction of a fairer and more reasonable global governance system.
Alcides Scala, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Angola, said that China's close cooperation with countries in the Global South provides broad opportunities for deepening "South-to-South cooperation". Through the friendly cooperation between Angola and China and the mechanism of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, we can see that China is playing a key role in uniting and leading countries in the Global South to jointly build a cooperative development model based on partnership, reciprocity, solidarity and mutual benefit.
Mauricio Fabro, Director of the Special Office for Diplomatic Planning of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that China is an important and responsible partner when it comes to maintaining the international system with the United Nations at its core. China's sustainable development is an important driving force for global multipolarity, and a multipolar world requires multilateral governance. No country can survive global challenges like climate change and artificial intelligence alone. Improving global governance is inseparable from China's contribution.
Alexandros Giannis, Head of the Department for Policy Planning and Strategic Foresight of the European External Action Service, said that we live in an era of very uncertain changes, and cooperation is not an option but a must. As the two largest powers in the world, Europe and China have the responsibility to strengthen cooperation to face common challenges and at the same time resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation.
During this forum, more than 350 people from all walks of life around the world discussed the dialectical relationship between "sovereignty" and "cooperation" and discussed specific topics such as "peace and geopolitics", "development" and "emerging technologies". Kong Tianping, a researcher at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told media at the forum that the global geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound changes. The game between the great powers affects the international situation, and countries reexamine the connotation and importance of sovereignty. At the same time, in order to respond effectively to the complex challenges facing the international community, it is increasingly important to deepen international cooperation.
At the intersection of technological change and geopolitics, "critical minerals" have become a hot topic in this forum. Cui Hongjian, director of the Center for European and Regional Development Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, spoke during the forum and said that in order to maintain the security of the global supply chain of critical minerals, all parties should consider strengthening intergovernmental coordination, establishing risk prevention mechanisms and deepening inter-organizational cooperation. He believes China is exploring relevant mechanisms with the EU and others to improve the resilience of each other's economies and industries through dialogue and consultation.
The first Paris Peace Forum was held in 2018 to promote multilateral cooperation and address global challenges.