Chen Xiaohan

Jointly Safeguard World Peace and Security,
Build Together a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

This is an edited transcript of the remarks of Chen Xiaohan to the Plenary Session of the Schiller Institute’s April 9, 2022 conference, “Establish a New Security and Development Architecture for All Nations.” Ms. Chen is Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD).

Dear President Helga Zepp-LaRouche, friends,

First of all, I’d like to present my warm compliments to you all! It is my pleasure to attend this international conference hosted by the international Schiller Institutes.

The world today is undergoing major changes and a great pandemic, both unseen in a century. With intense and complicated major power rivalry and escalated regional hotspot issues, the world has entered a period of new turbulence and transformation, and the international order is facing severe challenges.

Against this backdrop, it is of great significance for President Helga and the Schiller Institute to initiate this conference. I believe today’s conference will be very productive and successful in reviewing the international situation and exploring ideas to build together a better world for all.

At the moment, I’d like to avail myself of this opportunity to pay tribute to President Helga and the Schiller Institute, who have been making endeavors to promote cultural exchanges, mutual understanding among different peoples, as well as common development of the world over decades.

Speaking of the international situation, the crisis in Ukraine, which impacts the whole world, is indeed deeply distressing, and more importantly, it has prompted us to reflect profoundly. I recall clearly that some Western strategists, including George Kennan, Henry Kissinger and John Mearsheimer, all sounded an alarm for the crises years ago. Yet the situation still comes to what we have seen today. The lesson is painful and profound. The root cause lies in regional security contradictions fermented over the decades.

A fundamental solution is to accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all relevant parties. China supports Europe to play a leading role, and supports Europe, Russia, the U.S., and NATO to hold a dialogue, facing up to the tensions that have piled up over the years, and find solutions, so as to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework in Europe. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China will continue to make its voice heard, put forward initiatives and take actions to stop war and promote peace, and to earnestly safeguard regional and world peace and stability.

Dear friends,

Facing emerging global challenges, human society is once again standing at a critical historical juncture. Answering the questions of what’s wrong with the world and what should we do, Xi Jinping offered China’s proposition: Build a community with a shared future for mankind, encourage all countries to rise above the differences in social system, history and culture, and work together to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

First, we should stay committed to building a world of lasting peace through dialogue and consultation. We should jointly safeguard global peace and security, abandon all forms of Cold War mentality and hegemonism. Countries should coordinate with each other equally and resolve disputes based on mutual respect, so as to foster a new type of international relations based on dialogue, non-confrontation and non-alliance.

Second, we should build a world of common security for all through joint efforts. We should follow common and cooperative security, instead of unilateral and absolute security. The security of one country cannot be compromised at the expense of the security of others, and regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening military blocs. We should guard against any attempts of a “new Cold War,” and create a security architecture featuring fairness, justice, joint efforts and shared benefits.

Third, we should build a world of common prosperity through win-win cooperation. We should promote open and inclusive development. Sanctions and economic globalization should not be used as weapons. Countries should work together and strengthen policy coordination to avoid protectionism. We should uphold an open, inclusive and balanced world economy to bring benefits to all.

Fourth, we should build an open and inclusive world through exchanges and mutual learning. We should promote the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, not allow one civilization to prevail over another. People from different civilizations, social systems and development paths could draw on each other to achieve common progress.

Fifth, we should make our world clean and beautiful by pursuing green and low-carbon development. We should jointly deal with environmental challenges by pursuing balanced and sustainable development. Countries should follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, take the opportunity of working together to fight against the pandemic, and advocate green and low-carbon production and lifestyle so as to advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Dear friends,

As President Xi Jinping pointed out, in the midst of a global crisis, countries are not on more than 190 small boats, but on one big boat with a shared future. Only when nations pull together, not against each other, and encourage each other, not blame each other, can we overcome the challenges of today and move toward a brighter future.

In the face of the volatile international situation, China pursues a new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, adheres to the political settlement of regional hotspot issues, and plays a constructive role in maintaining international peace and security.

In the face of sluggish recovery of the world economy, China pursues the concept of common development and promotes the high-quality cooperation of the Belt and Road—construction which is green, open, clean, high-standard, sustainable and beneficial to the people.

In the face of complex governance difficulties, China has actively participated in the building of global systems for climate, environment, health and digital governance, pushed for globalization to be more open and win-win for all, and firmly upheld the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law.

In the face of the impact of COVID-19 on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China has put forward a global development initiative, calling on all countries to take action and inject new impetus into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Dear friends,

As an old Chinese saying goes: “a public spirit will rule all under heaven when the great way prevails.” When spring comes, vegetation grows and spreads, and the mountain scenery in spring will be enjoyed. Peace and development are the theme of our times and the irresistible trend of history as well.

In the face of common challenges facing mankind, countries should strengthen solidarity instead of estrangement, promote cooperation instead of provoking conflicts, and join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind. We should make positive contributions to the political settlement of international and regional issues and the maintenance of world peace and stability.

Once again, I want to thank President Helga and friends from the Schiller Institute for inviting me to attend the conference. It’s significant and pertinent to pool wisdom, to seek for common development of human beings and build a community with a shared future for mankind at this critical moment.

I wish this conference a complete success! Thank you!