Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday called on the international community to reject all kinds of unilateral actions that circumvent the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
He also urged the international community to enhance the voice of developing countries, and outlined China's position regarding the qualifications required for the next UN secretary-general.
Speaking at a press encounter on China's proposal to help the Security Council better carry out its mission, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the UN Security Council remains at the core of the international collective security mechanism and bears the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security despite more than 80 years of changes and challenges.
"At the same time, we need to admit that in recent years, on major hot-spot issues, the Security Council has at times been absent. So in order to reinvigorate the UN, we need to first reinvigorate the Security Council," Wang told reporters after he presided over a high-level meeting of the Security Council on upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system.
To reach that goal, all members of the Security Council need to take maintaining peace as their mission, abide by the UN Charter, uphold justice and refrain from acting on their own selfish interests or creating bloc confrontation, Wang said.
He stressed the importance to enhance the voice of developing countries and small and medium-sized nations through reform, particularly by addressing the historical injustice faced by Africa.
The international community should work together to reject all kinds of unilateral actions that bypass the Security Council so that unilateral bullying will find no market and will have no legitimacy, he added.
Emphasizing that the next secretary-general will shape the future of UN reform and affect the practical interests of UN member states, Wang outlined China's position on the qualifications required for the role.
"China believes that the next secretary-general should at least meet the following qualifications. First, to be firmly committed to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Second, to have rich diplomatic and political experience and strong coordination capability. Third, to be able to uphold justice on major issues, in particular, to pay attention to the interests and aspirations of developing countries. Fourth, to be able to keep the UN reform on the right track to increase efficiency and effectiveness," Wang said.
"To sum up: commitment to the UN Charter, outstanding competency, integrity and impartiality, and initiative to take responsibility and deliver," he said. "Going forward, China will work with others and take a responsible attitude to participate in the selection process of the next secretary-general."
Wang also paid tribute to outgoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Guterres has served in the role for nearly a decade. During that time, he has devoted himself to multilateralism and worked to uphold the authority of the United Nations, promote peace and defend justice, Wang said.
"His efforts have been recognized and commended by the international community," he added.
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