On March 20, Ambassador Liu Yantao published an article entitled “Upholding Multilateralism is Crucial for Human Well-being and the Future” on Cyprus Mail, the largest English newspaper in Cyprus. The full text is as follows: 

Every March sees the annual meetings of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Together, they are called the Two Sessions.

At the recently concluded Two Sessions, it was stressed in the Government Work Report that China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, consolidating and expanding global partnerships, adhering to true multilateralism, and playing an active and constructive role in addressing global challenges and resolving regional hotspots.

Specifically, on multilateralism, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that if every country were to prioritize its own interests and believe in the supremacy of power, the world would revert to the law of the jungle, with small and weak nations bearing the brunt, and international rules and order severely impacted.

Foreign Minister Wang also said that all nations hope to avoid a return to the law of the jungle. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the cornerstone of sovereign equality, uphold the principle of fairness and justice, adhere to the concept of multilateralism, and enhance the authority of international law. He emphasized that major countries, in particular, should take the lead in advocating integrity and the rule of law, oppose double standards and selective application, and should not engage in bullying or exploitation.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. At this important juncture, the Chinese government is sending such a strong message to the world on upholding multilateralism, which carries special significance.

Eighty years ago, China, together with the Allied powers in the World Anti-Fascist War, achieved a great victory against fascism. Having endured the calamities of two world wars, the international community reflected deeply on the pain and suffering. This collective reflection led to the establishment of the United Nations and the gradual emergence of multilateralism as the prevailing trend of the era.

True multilateralism must be rooted in the United Nations, and it is essential to uphold the international system with the UN at its core. True multilateralism must be anchored in international law, and it is crucial to maintain the international order with international law as its basis. True multilateralism must also be sustained by the cooperation of all nations, in particular, major countries must take the lead in upholding justice, enforcing the rule of law, assuming responsibilities, and taking concrete actions.

Multilateralism is particularly vital for small and medium-sized nations, as it fosters equity in rights, opportunities, and rules, propelling the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction. It ensures that these nations can voice their demands, safeguard their interests, and participate in global governance.

However, in today’s world, multilateralism is under immense pressure: peace deficits, development deficits, security deficits, and governance deficits are increasingly exacerbated. Particularly, certain country is obsessed with unilateralism, protectionism and bullying, inciting trade and tariff wars. This has cast a shadow over the world. We are confronted with the critical question of where humanity is headed in this new era.

There is no doubt that China is a mainstay of multilateralism. Eighty years ago, a Chinese representative was the first to solemnly sign the United Nations Charter, using a traditional Chinese brush to inscribe a bold and historic chapter in world history. For the past 80 years, we have consistently adhered to multilateralism, considering the future of humanity and the well-being of the people, aligning our national interests with the common interests of all nations. We have contributed China’s strength to the promotion of world peace and development, demonstrating the responsibility of a major country.

President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and introduced the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. They provide China’s answers to the questions of our times and contribute Chinese wisdom to the reform and improvement of global governance.

In response to major global challenges, President Xi calls for an equal and orderly multipolar world, universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, as well as the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all humanity, thereby guiding the international community toward cooperation and mobilizing global solidarity.

In practice, China has faithfully fulfilled its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. To date, it has dispatched over 50,000 personnel to UN peacekeeping operations and has become the second-largest contributor to both the UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments.

Furthermore, China was among the first to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and has led the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, contributing to over 70% of global poverty reduction.

China has joined nearly all intergovernmental organizations and over 600 international conventions, consistently fulfilling its obligations in good faith. Notably, it has over-delivered on its commitments upon joining the WTO and promoted the comprehensive implementation of the Paris Agreement. 

Both China and Cyprus are staunch advocates of multilateralism and steadfast defenders of international law. On issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, the two countries have strongly supported each other through multilateral platforms such as the United Nations—on the Cyprus problem, China has spoken out for the legitimate needs of Cyprus; on the Taiwan question, Cyprus firmly adheres to the one-China principle.

Moreover, this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. Between these two significant forces in the process of multipolarity, the greatest unifying consensus is multilateralism. They therefore share a common responsibility in this regard. China is willing to work with Cyprus and the EU to set an example in upholding multilateralism, establish a global benchmark for its practice, and steadfastly follow the right path of multilateralism that safeguards world peace and promotes common development.