By He Yin, People’s Daily
In today’s turbulent world, power politics and bullying practices are causing severe harm, and the international security landscape is fraught with chaos. As a responsible major country, China always upholds fairness and justice.
Upholding fairness and justice has been a fine tradition and unwavering commitment of Chinese diplomacy. From putting forth the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence with neighboring countries over 70 years ago to actively advancing the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind in the new era, China has taken concrete actions to contribute its strength in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
In developing international relations, China is committed to equality among all countries, big or small, and adheres to the principle of combining justice with interests while prioritizing justice. China does not seek major-power competition or geopolitical spheres of influence. It does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or force them to take sides.
Faced with surging hegemonism and power politics, China has always been defending justice. It has resolutely pushed back against a handful of countries’ attempts to dominate international affairs, demanded increased representation and voice of developing countries in the global governance system, supported addressing the historical injustices done to African countries as a priority, and urged the lifting of all illegal unilateral sanctions. With these efforts, China has firmly upheld the common and legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and made the international order more just and equitable.
Defending justice in defiance of hegemonic power is certainly also about safeguarding China’s sovereignty, national dignity and territorial integrity. In the face of external interference and provocation, China fought back resolutely and forcefully. In response to various acts of unjustified suppression, China took legitimate and reasonable countermeasures.
In international affairs, China consistently upholds fairness and justice while seeking solutions to pressing issues, in an effort to promote equity and justice, and contribute to lasting peace and stability.
On May 30, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. He stressed that China firmly supports the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. It supports Palestine’s full membership in the UN, and supports a more broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference.
Leaders of countries attending the opening ceremony highly appreciated China’s fair and just stance on the Palestinian question. They expressed willingness to work closely with China to help ease tensions and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
On July 4, Xi delivered a speech when attending the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+ in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he called for building a common home of fairness and justice. The SCO Summit has issued the Astana Declaration and the SCO initiative on world unity for justice, harmony and development. It was a strong message of the new era, one that calls for solidarity, cooperation and justice rather than division, confrontation, and hegemonism.
China unites with the Global South on the basis of equality, openness, transparency and inclusiveness, strengthening the power of fairness and justice in the international community. As an important member of the Global South, China forms its stance based on the merits of each issue when handling international affairs, abides by the basic norms of international relations, and safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, especially developing countries.
China supports deepening cooperation under the expanded BRICS and the SCO, and supports Brazil and Peru in holding the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting respectively to jointly create a shining “South moment” in global governance.
China is accelerating the implementation of the eight initiatives to better support Global South cooperation, working to ensure the success of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, developing the “five cooperation frameworks” with Arab states, upgrading its relations with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and deepening cooperation with Pacific island countries. China will stay committed to the development and revitalization of the Global South.
Promoting world multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations is part and parcel of upholding fairness and justice. China advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world, which means every country can find its place in a multipolar system and play its due role pursuant to international law.
China advocates that the multipolar world should be equal, that is, to insist on the equality of all countries, oppose hegemony and power politics, oppose the monopoly of a few countries in international affairs, and effectively promote greater democracy in international relations.
China believes that multipolarity should be a historical process in which countries choose solidarity over division, communication over confrontation, cooperation over conflict, and win-win results over lose-lose situations.
To achieve this goal, all countries should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice genuine multilateralism.
No matter how the international landscape evolves, China always stands on the right side of history and upholds fairness and justice. It will always be a firm builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.
China will continue to uphold fairness and justice, adhere to true multilateralism, safeguard the authority and role of the UN, make the global governance architecture more balanced and effective, and build an equal and orderly multipolar world.
