Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World in Shanghai Friday, pointing out that a China moving toward modernization is a boost to the force for peace and justice.
Dominance and hegemony is not the aim of China's development, Qin said, adding that the notion that strength will lead to hegemony is incompatible with Chinese culture, and defiance of hegemony is a noble character of Chinese diplomacy.
He pointed out that China is the only country in the world that has put in its Constitution the commitment to a path of peaceful development, the top contributor of peacekeeping personnel among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the only country among the five Nuclear-Weapon States that has made the promise of no-first-use of nuclear weapons.
"We have joined over 20 multilateral arms control treaties, and pushed for the conclusion of a joint statement among the five Nuclear-Weapon States on preventing nuclear war. We advocate peaceful resolution of international disputes through consultation and dialogue," said Qin.
He said the Global Security Initiative (GSI) put forward by President Xi Jinping has pointed out the right direction of pursuing common and universal security. "It is better to remove enmity than keep it alive," he said, quoting a Chinese proverb.
Noting Saudi Arabia and Iran have resumed diplomatic relations facilitated by China, Qin said that it is encouraging to see that more countries are shaking hands and embracing peace.
In the face of the protracted Ukraine crisis, Qin said, China does not inflame or take advantage of the situation. Rather, China has taken an impartial stance and pushed for peace talks in order to reduce the pressure and lower the temperature around the crisis, he said.
"Facts have proved that a China moving toward modernization is a boost to the force for peace and justice," he said.
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