Join Forces toSafeguard Peace, Work Together to Facilitate Development

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Join Forces to Safeguard Peace, Work Together to Facilitate Development

Speech by Ma Biao, Vice Chairman of the National Committee, CPPCC at the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Commemoration of the International Day of Peace

Your Excellency Li Yuanchao, Vice President of China,

Your Excellency Jennifer Simons, Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname,

Your Excellency Lord Tu’ivakanō, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga,

Your Excellency Rosana Alvarado, First Vice President of the National Assembly of Ecuador,

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,

It gives me great pleasure to meet friends from all across the world here in Yinchuan. On behalf of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all delegates attending the 2016 Commemoration of the International Day of Peace.

This year, the United Nations made ‘Lasting Peace and Sustainable Development’ the theme of the International Day of Peace. And this is highly relevant. Peace and development is the theme of our times. And people of all countries aspire to peace, development and cooperation. However, the world we live in is not peaceful and we are confronted with serious and complex challenges on our way towards peace and development.

―War and turmoil brings great sufferings to the people. The people are the biggest victims of war and they possess unforgettable memories of the scourge of war and turmoil. At present, international terrorist activities are running rampant, making terrorism the top non-traditional security threat. And it is the ordinary citizens that bear the brunt and are the most affected by it.

―Poverty and underdevelopment poses a threat to people’s lives. Several billion people across the world are still living in abject poverty, and many of them are threatened by diseases. Nearly two billion people across the globe live on less than 3.1 dollars a day. Thus, ending poverty has become an important global issue. Poverty and underdevelopment undermines people’s the basic rights to survival and development and is an important factor behind global and regional instability.

―Development imbalances give rise to inequality among different communities. Against the backdrop of a slow world economic recovery, existing development imbalances are further exacerbated and inequalities between the developed countries and developing countries are particularly pronounced. Uneven development affects the sustainable development of the global economy and has triggered social problems like the refugee crisis.

As challenges to peace and development are complex and severe, the people have an ever stronger desire for lasting peace and common development. President Xi Jinping of China put forward the important proposition to build a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and to jointly foster a community of common destiny for mankind. Today, as representatives of NGOs, we are gathered here to pool our wisdom and seek to contribute to the building of an even better community of common destiny for mankind. To this end, I would like to make three proposals.

. ‘To maintain international peace and security’ is the first purpose as stated by the Charter of the United Nations. It reminds countries and their peoples of reflecting upon wars and staying true to their commitment to the maintenance of peace. Peace is an aspiration of people of all countries and is linked to the long-term security of the world. As representatives of NGOs, we should stay committed to and spread the ideal of peace, and always work to maintain, build and facilitate peace.

China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to the path of peaceful development. We have never ceased our efforts to work together with people of all other countries to pursue, maintain and enjoy peace. China advocates and pursues the idea of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and plays a constructive role in seeking political settlements to hotspot issues in the world. The Chinese people are ready to work with people from the rest of the world to spread the positive energy of peace and to write a new chapter for world peace.

and is also the ultimate answer to all sorts of security issues. It is development and development only that could help meet people’s aspirations for happy lives and bring tangible benefits to them. As representatives of NGOs, we should focus our attention on development and seek to ensure that more and better fruits of development trickle down to the people. We should adopt a win-win and all-win approach, and promote domestic development while facilitating common development. As we share development results, we should also jointly rise to global economic risks and challenges and promote sustainable development, thus laying a solid foundation for lasting peace in the world.

China pursues an opening-up strategy for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes and remains committed to the path of common and cooperative development. China’s Belt and Road initiative constitutes a new contribution to common development with countries along the routes. China is now pursing innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development and is taking the lead in development across the world and serves as an anchor and stabilizer to the global economic recovery. The Chinese people stand ready to work with people from the rest of the world to push for sustainable development and the comprehensive development of human beings, and to achieve global prosperity.

Interactions and mutual learning among civilizations are an important driving force for the progress of human civilization, world peace and development. Moreover, it can enhance mutual understanding and address conflicts and disputes. As NGOs representatives, we should actively push for the interactions and integration among civilizations, nations and religions, thus promoting people-to-people understanding and consolidating public support for peaceful coexistence and common development among countries.

As an ancient civilization, China believes that we should view civilizations in the world in an appreciative and inclusive manner and China encourages exchanges and dialogue among civilizations. We have taken concrete steps to facilitate cultural exchanges, mutual-learning and harmonious coexistence with other countries and civilizations. ‘A single flower does not make a spring’. The Chinese people stand ready to work with people from the rest of the world to make many flowers of human civilization blossom.

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,

The Commemoration of the International Day of Peace has become an important platform for all parties to strengthen friendship, deepen mutual trust, build consensus and foster cooperation. I hope that you can take advantage of this event to have in-depth discussions, and to contribute your insight on how to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development. May we work together to make the world a better place, a place that enjoys durable peace and common prosperity.

Thank you!