Xi reaffirms support for UN authority

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Photo: AFP Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for global efforts to defend the authority and role of the United Nations, and vowed to deepen cooperation with the world body. Xi's statement highlights China's staunch support of the organization and determination to maintain global peace and security, a key reason the UN was established, analysts said. Xi made the statement during his meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN, the international community should reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism, defend the principles and purpose of the UN Charter, safeguard the UN's authority and role and strive to promote world peace and common development, Xi said. "China has been a supporter of the UN system. The country believes that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations. It opposes unilateral actions that ignore the UN framework, especially in the use of force, as the US and some Western countries have done in the Middle East. Such actions run counter to the UN Charter," Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, told the Global Times. The UN Charter, which was signed in 1945, said it aims at "saving successive generations from scourge of war" and that "armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest." Xi also said that China is committed to developing a new model of international relations, with win-win cooperation as the core. China will stick to a path of peaceful development, dedicate itself to defending the existing international order founded on the UN Charter, continue its support for the global body and deepen cooperation with it, Xi stressed. China's rising role Xi said the UN should play a leading role in addressing global issues, adding that the world body is the ideal platform for international anti-terrorism cooperation. As all parties expect the UN to adhere to political solutions to issues in the coming decade, Xi urged the global institution and its Security Council to draw useful experiences from how the Iran nuclear issue was handled. The Iran nuclear talks involved all five UN Security Council permanent member states and Germany, which is a good example of multilateral negotiations, Jia noted. Ruan Zongze, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, said that as a permanent member of UN Security Council, China has an increasing role in maintaining global security. "Unlike some Western countries, which toppled the government of certain nations under the name of 'protection,' as in the case with Libya, China has advocated the idea of 'protection with responsibility,' stressing that relevant countries must take responsibility both before and after they get involved," Ruan wrote in the People's Daily. Ban on Saturday welcomed the Chinese leader at the UN headquarters. Ban said China has played a positive role and made remarkable contributions to promoting world peace and development, as well as proper solutions to regional and international issues for a long period of time. China has in the past few years increased its contributions to the UN, including paying an extra 61 percent in UN fees, increasing its share of the budget from 3.19 to 5.15 percent in 2012, and sending more troops to UN peacekeeping missions.