Remarks by CIDCA Chairman H.E. Mr. Luo Zhaohui at the United Nations Day Commemoration

Remarks by CIDCA Chairman H.E. Mr. Luo Zhaohui at the United Nations Day Commemoration

(16:00, October 22, 2021, United Nations building in Beijing)

H.E. Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China,

Distinguished envoys,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon! It is a great pleasure to attend today's event. Today is a day with great significance.

Firstly, we together celebrate the United Nations' 76th anniversary. It's a festival shared by all of us who are part of the UN family. Over the past 76 years, the UN had witnessed international changes and played a historic role in maintaining world peace and development. The UN's function is irreplaceable. Its founding is a product of human civilization's progress and will further promote human's prosperity and development. We are full of optimism and expectations. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, "The UN should hold high the banner of true multilateralism and serve as the central platform for countries to jointly safeguard universal security, share development achievements and chart the course for the future of the world."

Secondly, we together celebrate the 50th anniversary of restoration of lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN. Over the past 50 years, China has always been an important builder of world peace, the biggest contributor to global development and a firm defender of international order. China has transformed itself from a poor country into the world's second largest economy, and has historically eliminated absolute poverty. We will further reform and opening up to provide more development opportunities for the world. We have joined the RCEP and are applying to join the CPTPP. While making great changes inside, China has been contributing to the outside development. President Xi Jinping proposed the concept of a community of shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Global Development Initiative. All of them are Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions. China has just successfully hosted the COP15 and the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference. Since last year, we have carried out the largest and most intensive emergency humanitarian operation since the founding of the PRC, and have already provided more than 1.4 billion doses of vaccines to more than 100 countries, ranking first in the world. These truly epitomize China's practice of the UN spirit and real multilateralism.

Thirdly, the UN Day celebration will boost our determination and confidence to defeat COVID-19 and build a better world. The world is far from peace and human beings are vulnerable. The COVID-19 is still spreading ups and downs. The Global sustainable development is facing challenges. Confidence, cooperation, development and multilateralism are the right choices to these severe challenges. China is doing so and is on the right side of history. Other UN members should do the same. The politicization of COVID-19 origin-tracing, the Quad, and the AUKUS indicate that the specter of Cold War mentality is still haunting. The UN Day should be a reminder for all members to focus on solidarity and cooperation while rejecting Cold War mentality and bloc politics.

Fourthly, it is impressive to celebrate the UN Day with poetry recitation. I have long studied India, especially its art and culture. I know that, Mr. Chatterjee is originally from India. India is home to Mr. Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Prize winner in literature in 1913. In the early 20th century, he used poetry to promote Oriental civilization and support national liberation movements in the just struggle against colonization and for national independence. Today, amid major changes unseen in a century, we still need Tagore's spirit to create a new better world.

Dear friends,

President Xi Jinping pointed out that only when countries develop together can there be true development, and only when development is sustainable can there be sound development. China's foreign aid and international development cooperation, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative, are coordinating with the development strategies of other countries, and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. I would like to share with you the new focuses of China's international development cooperation.

Firstly, focus on cooperation in anti-COVID-19 and public health security. We will uphold the foremost character of vaccine as a global public good, continue to provide active assistance to developing countries through foreign aid, technology transfer, joint production, and step up assistance efforts more promptly for fair and reasonable distribution of vaccines globally. We will increase investment in support of health, epidemic prevention and other non-traditional security areas, improve public health systems, and jointly build a global community of health for mankind.

Secondly, focus on economic recovery. We should maintain the multilateral trading system with the WTO as the cornerstone, maintain the stability and smooth flow of the global industrial and supply chains, and work together to move world economy forward along the path of strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. We welcome countries and international organizations to actively participate in the Belt and Road cooperation for the integrated development of world economy and share the achievements, so as to inject more energy into the global economic recovery and growth.

Thirdly, focus on improving people's well-being. We will remain prioritize development, coordinate with the development strategies of developing countries, focus on poverty reduction, food security, education, health and other needs of common concern to all countries, strengthen South-South cooperation, North-South cooperation and triangular cooperation, and mobilize more development resources for developing countries to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. China will resolutely implement the Double Carbon Target, that is achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, and the commitment not to build any new coal-fired power plants abroad.

Fourthly, focus on cooperation and coordination with UN institutions in China. Under the leadership of Mr. Chatterjee, the UN agencies in China have actively promoted cooperation with China and achieved new fruits in international development. Last week, Mr. Chatterjee and many other present officials from UN agencies accepted invitation by my wife and I to visit Yanqing. The CIDCA is ready to continue working with you to deepen the international development cooperation.

Please allow me to conclude by quoting a poem cheering for selfless love by Mr. Rabindranath Tagore in his novel The Home and the World: "my necessity was more for giving than for receiving; for love is a vagabond, who can make his flowers bloom in the wayside dust, better than in the crystal jars kept in the drawing-room."

Thank you!