China's top legislator calls for building community of shared future at global parliament summit

GENEVA -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji has said here that China's National People's Congress is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with its global counterparts, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Zhao, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, made the remarks during a speech titled "Upholding Multilateralism and Building a Better Home Together" at the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in Geneva from Tuesday to Thursday.

In his speech, Zhao said the world is facing severe challenges to the cause of peace and development of humanity, and legislatures must play a more active role in fostering a new model of international relations.

He called on legislative bodies to act as joint defenders of global peace and tranquility, uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable approach to security, and respect all countries' sovereignty, territorial integrity and the development paths chosen by their people.

He also urged parliaments to jointly promote global development and prosperity, uphold mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and provide legal guarantees for promoting common development among all countries.

Zhao further highlighted the role of legislatures in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, respecting the diversity of world civilizations and encouraging inclusive and diversified development.

As common promoters of international fairness and justice, legislators must uphold and practice true multilateralism, and make efforts to establish a fairer and more reasonable system of global governance, he added.

Zhao emphasized that China's NPC is willing to work with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and legislative bodies of all countries to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and build a community with a shared future for humanity.

He also chaired the WCSP's general debate session on Wednesday morning.

The WCSP has been held every five years since 2000 by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. This year's conference, themed "A world in turmoil: Parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace, justice and prosperity for all," brought together parliamentary leaders from 120 countries and concluded with the adoption of the High-Level Declaration of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament on Thursday.

During the conference, Zhao met with IPU President Tulia Ackson and Secretary General Martin Chungong.

Zhao said that China's NPC is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the IPU, continue to work together to organize seminars for parliamentarians from developing countries, and promote more effective exchanges between legislative bodies.

Ackson said that the IPU greatly appreciates China's firm support for multilateralism and is willing to work with China to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. Chungong expressed gratitude for China's active participation in and important contributions to the work of the IPU.

Zhao also met with leaders of the parliaments of Brazil, Pakistan, Russia and Kazakhstan.