Foreign Minister Wang Yi's Comments'onPresident Xi Jinping's Attendance at Climate ChangeConference in Paris, Visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa and Chairing of Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

From November 29 to December 5 local time, President Xi Jinping attended the opening events of the Climate Change Conference in Paris of France, paid state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa and chaired the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg. At the end of the trip, Foreign Minister Wang Yi briefed journalists on the visit.

Wang Yi said that President Xi Jinping's visit is the main event in Chinese leaders' foreign visit diplomacy this year. The trip to Paris aims leading and promoting the international climate negotiations and contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the agreement at the Paris Conference. Revisiting Africa is to inherit and carry forward China-Africa traditional friendship and make new plans and guidelines for the development of China-Africa relations under the new situation. Based on China's current conditions and its position as a major developing country, the visit focused on the balanced, inclusive and sustainable development of the human society, realized an organic docking of China's reform and development, global response to climate change and Africa's development and revitalization, and reflected the full integration of the domestic and international situations. It is another significant action to expand the global development space for China and plan the diplomatic strategic layout, and also another successful practice to build a new model of international relations with win-win cooperation as its core and forge a community of common destiny for mankind.

During the seven-day trip, traveling from morning to night among four cities in three countries and with intensive bilateral and multilateral activities, President Xi Jinping held talks and meetings with leaders from more than 50 countries and regional organizations and delivered several important speeches, making proposals, promoting cooperation, boosting solidarity and seeking win-win results with remarkable achievements and far-reaching influence. It has aroused intensive attention of public opinions at home and abroad which holds that the visit bears epoch-making significance, marking a new phase of China's participation in global climate governance and a new chapter of China-Africa friendly cooperation.

I. Lead climate change negotiations to form a new momentum

Wang Yi said that the Climate Change Conference in Paris is a key joint of the global climate governance process and received much attention and expectation. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Conference with leaders of other countries and heads of international organizations, declaring that China attaches great importance to tackling climate change and determines to inject political momentum to the negotiation process. President Xi Jinping put forward important propositions at the Conference and had intensive communication and coordination with all parties, presenting a responsible, supportive and constructive image of China as a major country and making irreplaceable contribution to the success of the Conference.

Solutions were proposed for a Paris agreement. This Conference aims to strengthen the implementation of the "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" and reach a comprehensive, balanced, powerful and binding climate change agreement. As the leader of the biggest developing country, President Xi Jinping adopted an overall and long-term perspective, and pointed out that the Paris Conference should strengthen post-2020 global actions on tackling climate change and also promote the world for better sustainable development. He emphasized that the agreement should conduce to realizing the objectives of the Convention to lead green development. It should conduce to pooling global forces and encouraging extensive participation. It should conduce to increasing investment and enhancing guarantee for actions. It should conduce to accommodating the conditions of all countries and seeking practical and effective results. Based on the present and facing the future, these proposals adhere to principles and reflect flexibility, represent the common pursuit of the vast developing countries and consider positions of all parties, receiving extensive support and acceptance.

Consensus was pooled to promote the negotiation process. Since the beginning of this year, China has issued joint statements on climate change successively with the US, France, Brazil, India and the European Union, paving the way for the Conference. During the Conference, President Xi Jinping held meetings with President François Hollande of France, President Barack Obama of the US, President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, realizing the double promotion of development of bilateral relations and climate change negotiations. President Xi Jinping actively conducted shuttle diplomacy, had candid and practical communication and coordination with other participating leaders, and led all parties to take an overall perspective, fortify confidence and meet each other half way, pooling consensus at the extreme. For all parties' concerns such as emission reduction, adaptation, funds and technology, President Xi Jinping emphasized that the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" remains effective, we should advance win-win cooperation and do our best to jointly tackle the challenges, and the developed countries in particular should fulfill the duty of providing funds and transferring technologies to the developing countries. President Xi Jinping's propositions consolidated the cornerstone of international cooperation in tackling climate change.

Impetus was added to South-South climate cooperation. China has taken an active part in international cooperation in climate change for many years. On the basis of announcing to establish China's South-South Cooperation Fund on Climate Change this September, President Xi Jinping further announced at the Conference that next year China will develop ten low-carbon demonstration zones, 100 climate change abatement and adaptation projects, and cooperation project of training 1,000 personnel in tackling climate change in the developing countries, keep promoting international cooperation in clean energy, disaster prevention and relief, ecological protection, climate resilient agriculture, and the construction of low-carbon smart cities, and help the developing countries improve their financing capacity. "Action speaks louder than words." Through concrete actions, China supports the developing countries to improve their capacity in tackling climate change, demonstrating to the world China's diplomatic style of uniting knowledge and action and taking practical approaches.

An exemplary role was played for global energy conservation and emission reduction. President Xi Jinping repeatedly stressed that tackling climate change is both the internal requirement for China's sustainable development and the international obligation a responsible major country ought to fulfill. Instead of being asked to do this, we insist on doing it out of our own will. President Xi Jinping introduced China's development philosophy and policy measures of innovation, coordination, environment protection, openness and sharing, and pointed out that China has integrated tackling climate change into its mid- and long-term plans for economic and social development and has the confidence and resolution to achieve the 2030 climate action plan put forward in its "Intended Nationally Determined Contributions", making the international community feel China's sincerity in fully fulfilling its obligations and making more contributions. It is widely held by all sides that China's concept of green development leads the trend of the times, and its goal of energy conservation and emission reduction is ambitious, which bring a "cool wind" for the world in addressing greenhouse effect.

Under the joint efforts of President Xi Jinping and all sides, the Climate Change Conference in Paris saw a good start, a positive and practical atmosphere for negotiations and more unanimous views on a wide range of topics, which create favorable conditions for the successful closing of the Conference and comprehensive and balanced results.

II. Open up a new era of all-round development of China-Africa cooperation

Wang Yi said that the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation coincides with the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Forum. It is the first China-Africa summit held in the African continent and bears milestone significance in the history of China-Africa cooperation. President Xi Jinping chaired the Summit with President Jacob Zuma, and discussed friendship and planned the great cause of the development of China-Africa relations together with leaders of countries and regional organizations of Africa, opening up a new era of win-win cooperation and common development of China and Africa.

The Summit played a concert of China-Africa friendship and solidarity. Solidarity and cooperation with the African countries has always been an important foundation of China's foreign policy, and is a long-term and firm strategy that China has chosen. President Xi Jinping stressed that despite the adjustment and evolvement of international layout, China-Africa brotherhood of equality, mutual trust and mutual support will not change. Despite the rise and fall of economic situation, the fundamental purpose of China-Africa win-win cooperation and common development will not change. Despite the development of the times and society, the principle of China-Africa mutual understanding, common development and collaboration will not change. And despite the various threats and challenges, the firm will of China and Africa of sharing weal and woe will not change. It is a solemn announcement to promote China-Africa friendly cooperation in the new period, showing the greatest determination and sincerity for developing relations with Africa and receiving warm responses from Africa. Many African leaders said that China is a force devoted to peace and development in the contemporary world, and that China's economic and military strength is not meant to show force but to help the weak and is not for war but for peace. Instead of colonizing Africa, China has promoted Africa for a new life. China was a comrade-in-arms with Africa in pursuing national independence and the movement for liberation in the past, and is Africa's most reliable and sincere cooperative partner in its development and construction process. The African countries are willing to move forward with China and jointly realize the dream of national rejuvenation.

It achieved another elevation of the positioning of China-Africa relations. Leaders of China and Africa all agreed to promote the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. This is the continuous embodiment of the importance of China-Africa relations, and a natural result of the expansion of comprehensive cooperation, realizing another leap of the positioning of China-Africa relations and opening up broad prospects for the two sides to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation at a bigger range, broader fields and higher levels. Both China and Africa agreed to work together to strengthen and consolidate the "five major pillars" of equality and mutual trust in politics, win-win cooperation in economy, exchange and mutual learning in civilization, mutual help in security as well as solidarity and collaboration in international affairs to provide powerful support and strong guarantee for realizing a comprehensive development of China-Africa friendly cooperative relations.

It launched the updated version of China-Africa mutually beneficial cooperation. At present, the African countries are actively promoting industrialization and agricultural modernization, seeking independent and sustainable development, while China is comprehensively deepening reforms and advancing economic restructuring. The two sides need each other and boast respective advantages in development, ushering in rare historic opportunities. This Summit put forward a series of new initiatives concerning the docking of development strategies of China and Africa, and promoted China-Africa cooperation for a comprehensive upgrade. On behalf of the Chinese government, President Xi Jinping announced major initiatives on developing China-Africa relations, focusing on implementing the "ten major cooperative plans" on industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure construction, finance, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and improvement of people's well-being, public health, people-to-people and cultural engagement, and peace and security. These ten major fields highly accord with the demand for development of the African continent and fully conform to the eager desires of the African people. Especially, boosting industrialization process, accelerating agricultural modernization construction and establishing a public health epidemic prevention system in Africa will effectively address the three major livelihood issues of employment, food, and health it has been facing for years, help it convert natural and human resources to economic strength and people's welfare as soon as possible, and at the same time introduce more China's equipments, technologies, standards and services which meet Africa's demand for development to Africa to reflect the fundamental characteristics of equality and mutual benefits in China-Africa relations at higher level and broader scope.

It endowed China-Africa cooperation concept with new contents. China-Africa cooperation keeps pace with the times, blazes new trails in a pioneering spirit and always stays at the forefront of international cooperation with Africa. At the Summit, President Xi Jinping expounded the concepts of China-Africa cooperation under the new situation, and stressed that China and Africa should insist on equal cooperation of mutual benefits and win-win results, insist on multilateral cooperation of openness and inclusiveness, insist on the capacity-oriented practical cooperation, insist on green, low-carbon and sustainable development and insist on major-field cooperation of foundation as the priority. These concepts reflect China's work guidelines of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith towards Africa and the correct viewpoint on righteousness and benefit, will help Africa break the development bottlenecks of backward infrastructure construction and inadequate human resources, conform to the trend of the times of green development and sustainable development and endow China-Africa relations with more vitality. The international public opinion maintains that China holds an equal attitude, practical initiatives and advanced concepts in cooperation with Africa, and will play a leading and enlightening role in cooperation of the international community with Africa.

Wang Yi said that with not only a warm atmosphere but also fruitful results, this Summit is a historic event for strengthening China-Africa solidarity and cooperation and leading the future of China-Africa relations. The Summit deliberated on and approved the "Declaration of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation" and the "Johannesburg Action Plan (2016-2018) of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation", which combine both the wisdom of China and Africa and become documents that guide the development of China-Africa friendly cooperative relations.

During the Summit, President Xi Jinping met with Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of the African Union Commission, held bilateral or collective meetings with African leaders, and had in-depth exchanges of views and reached broad consensus on the development of China-Africa relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields.

III. Promote China-Zimbabwe and China-South Africa relations to a new stage

Zimbabwe and South Africa are China's important cooperative partners in Africa, and their relations with China bear strategic significance. The two countries are now at an important stage of national building. There is a broad space and perfect timing for them to deepen cooperation with China. President Xi Jinping's visit gave full play to the two major advantages of political mutual trust and economic complementarity between China and Zimbabwe and between China and South Africa, turned traditional friendship into more cooperation impetus and promoted bilateral relations to a new high, exerting demonstration and driving effect on the overall development of China-Africa relations.

The visit continued the tradition of high-level exchanges and constantly enhanced political mutual trust. As a senior African statesman, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe upholds independence, sticks to his own way and has friendly communication with Chinese leaders for many years. When visiting China last year, President Robert Mugabe invited President Xi Jinping to visit Zimbabwe as soon as possible. As a Chinese poem goes, "When a solemn promise is made with friends, the meeting with them shall be as scheduled despite the thousand miles." President Xi Jinping made a special visit according to the appointment, and President Robert Mugabe met him and saw him off at the airport in person, making a vivid reflection of the sincere friendship between Chinese and African leaders. President Xi Jinping and President Jacob Zuma witnessed three state visits in the past three years, and this time marks their fifth meeting this year, building a solid strategic mutual trust between each other. The frequent visits between the leaders have strongly led the direction of China-Zimbabwe relations and China-South Africa relations and laid a solid foundation for the long-time, sound and stable development of the bilateral relations.

The visit drew blueprints for practical cooperation and continued to expand mutual benefits and win-win results. President Xi Jinping's visit has promoted the docking of national development strategies between China and Zimbabwe and between China and South Africa, and made an overall planning for the future bilateral cooperation. President Xi Jinping put forward that China and Zimbabwe should not only be good friends in politics but also be good partners in development. The two countries agreed to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in fields such as agriculture, mining industry, manufacturing industry, infrastructure construction, investment and financing to promote common development and prosperity. President Xi Jinping stressed that China and South Africa should insist on being development partners of equality, mutual benefits and win-win cooperation. The two sides agreed to accelerate implementing the "China-South Africa Five-Ten Years Strategic Plan on Cooperation", and promote bilateral cooperation in six major fields such as special economic zones, marine economy, production capacity, energy, infrastructure construction and human resource development so as to inject new impetus into China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership. China and Zimbabwe, China and South Africa signed cooperative agreements in various fields, all of which were major projects benefiting national interests and people's livelihood, showing the tremendous potential for bilateral cooperation.

The visit set off a new upsurge in people's friendship and vigorously tightened cultural bonds. President Xi Jinping's visit was eagerly expected by all circles in the host countries and received a warm welcome of local people who sang and danced on both sides of the streets. It fully embodies their natural affinity for China and proves again that China-Zimbabwe and China-South Africa friendship is deeply rooted in and wins people's hearts. President Xi Jinping mourned at Zimbabwe's National Heroes Acre in Harare and paid homage to Africa's spirit of nationalism. He attended the closing ceremony of the "Year of China in South Africa" in Johannesburg, and encouraged the two peoples to keep close contacts and keep getting closer to each other. President Xi Jinping and leaders of the two countries agreed to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in aspects such as education, culture, tourism, youth, think tanks and media and support the two countries in conducting Chinese language teaching to build a new bond for the understanding and affinity between the people.

During the visit, President Xi Jinping's wife Mme. Peng Liyuan visited the charity organization, attended the advocacy activity on China-Africa AIDS prevention, promoted public welfare warmheartedly and played a unique role in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between people of China and Zimbabwe, China and South Africa, and China and Africa, and received a positive response from the local community.

IV. Interpret the new concept of building a global governance system

The challenge of climate change and the imbalance of North-South development are now two prominent global issues. President Xi Jinping took the opportunity of attending the Climate Change Conference in Paris and visiting Africa, put forward a grand vision on building a global governance system and carried out solid action, fully reflecting China's responsible image of joining other countries to cope with global issues and safeguarding the common interests of mankind.

President Xi Jinping charted the course for building a global governance system. He started from the global climate governance, and brilliantly expounded China's views and propositions on the mode of global governance. He stressed the need to create a future in which all play their parts for win-win cooperation and abandon the narrow mentality of "zero sum game" with more sharing and more responsibilities; to create a future with the rule of law, fairness and justice, ensure an effective compliance and enforcement of international rules, adhere to democracy, equality and justice, and establish international rule of law; to create a future of inclusiveness, mutual learning and common development, and advocate harmony in diversity to allow different countries to seek measures most suitable to their own national conditions. With wisdom from the Chinese culture, these proposals are in line with China's diplomatic concepts such as forging a community of common destiny for mankind, building a new model of international relations, and jointly negotiating, building and sharing, and resonate with the voices of other developing countries, constituting a perspective of global governance with prominent Chinese characteristics.

President Xi Jinping strengthened the positive energy to build a global governance system. At the Climate Change Conference in Paris, he spoke out for the developing countries to promote building a fair, reasonable and effective global mechanism to tackle climate change. At his visit to Africa where most developing countries are located, President Xi Jinping sent a strong message of China-Africa win-win cooperation and common development to the world, and expressed his expectation to achieve balanced, inclusive and sustainable development all over the world. President Xi Jinping and the African leaders reached an important consensus on enhancing China-Africa solidarity and cooperation and boosting democratization of international relations, which will exert far-reaching influences on promoting international order to develop toward a more fair and reasonable direction.

President Xi Jinping's visit sent an explicit message that China is still the largest developing country and China's development will bring opportunities to the international community including other developing countries. Regarding the developing countries as a foundation in its diplomacy, China will continue to join hands with other developing countries and firmly support an increase of the representativeness and voice of the developing countries and especially the African countries in the international governance system.

At last, Wang Yi said that under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Xi Jinping as the General Secretary, China's diplomacy has advanced comprehensively and actively with remarkable achievements in the past year. We have constantly expanded all-round diplomacy, with sound interactions with major countries, intensive cultivation in neighborhood diplomacy, deepening and expanding of relations with other developing countries, and active arrangements in multilateral diplomacy. We successfully held commemorations marking the 70 anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and actively participated in multilateral activities such as summits marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, witnessing a promotion and collaboration of diplomacy at home and abroad. A series of diplomatic concepts with Chinese characteristics we put forward have gained extensive appreciation. Major initiatives such as the "Belt and Road" and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have blossomed and yielded fruits. And we have made highly effective results in participating in the resolution of international and regional hotspot issues. Under the new situation, a magnificent scroll of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is unfolding to all dimensions. We should earnestly study and implement President Xi Jinping's diplomatic thoughts and practices and make good plan for next year's diplomatic work so as to create good conditions for a smooth launching of the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" and the realization of the two "Centenary Goals" and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and to make greater contributions to the cause of human peace and development.