Mutual respect, equality in intl affairs highlighted

No country has the right to dominate international affairs, dictate the destiny of other countries, monopolize development advantages or impose its will on the world, a senior Chinese official said on Wednesday, calling for stronger support of the United Nations and genuine multilateralism.

Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, made the remarks at a news conference in Beijing.

He said that China is closely following the situation in Iran and believes that the country's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected, calling for an immediate halt to military operations and urging efforts to prevent further escalation.

China maintains that mutual respect and equality between all countries, big or small, is what the progress of history demands, as well as the primary principle of the UN Charter, Lou said.

He called for the resumption of dialogue and negotiations to safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that China stands ready to play a constructive role as a responsible major power.

In the latest diplomatic efforts to promote peace, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate phone conversations on Wednesday with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, saying that China would send its special envoy on the Middle East issue to the region to conduct mediation.

During talks with his Saudi counterpart, Wang said that no matter the reason, indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable and any attacks targeting innocent civilians or nonmilitary facilities should be condemned.

In his call with the UAE minister, Wang said the spillover of war serves the interests of no party, adding that China supports regional countries in their continued efforts to resolve disputes through diplomatic means.

Viable paths

The past year has seen severe challenges to economic globalization, alongside frequent regional conflicts and cross-border tensions. Lou, the spokesman, said that peace, development and win-win cooperation are the only viable paths forward.

"The role of the UN must be strengthened, not weakened, and its authority must be upheld, not replaced," Lou said, adding that China is willing to work with other countries to advance reforms in global governance.

Regarding the outlook for China-United States relations, Lou said that China is willing to work with the US to promote communication at all levels while upholding its principles and bottom lines.

President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have maintained regular communication since last year, holding five phone conversations and one in-person meeting.

Facts show that China and the US both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation, Lou said. Bilateral ties can move forward steadily, as long as both sides fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, approach each other with equality, mutual respect and reciprocity, broaden cooperation and properly manage differences, he added.

Turning to China's neighborhood diplomacy, Lou said that China has always placed its neighborhood at the top of its diplomatic agenda.

Neighboring countries are enduring neighbors, and how a major country interacts with them reflects "its worldview, its outlook on international order and its values," he said.

As China-Japan relations have drawn renewed attention, Lou reiterated China's firm opposition to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan, emphasizing that the Chinese people will never allow any external forces to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Regarding Sino-European ties, Lou said that China and Europe have no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical tensions, and their economic and trade relationship is essentially complementary and mutually beneficial.

China is ready to work with Europe to uphold the partnership, properly handle trade and economic differences, expand cooperation and jointly meet global challenges, Lou said.

Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said that the strong focus on foreign policy issues during the news conference, which lasted more than 90 minutes, highlighted China's consistent advocacy of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, as well as its call to abandon zero-sum thinking and bloc confrontation.

"Such principles reflect China's efforts to promote a community with a shared future for humanity and advance genuine multilateralism," said Xiang.

"From major-power relations to neighborhood diplomacy, China seeks to balance deeper engagement with the firm defense of its core interests, aiming to foster a stable external environment while demonstrating an open and inclusive approach to cooperation," he added.

Cui Shoujun, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of International Studies, said that the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi underscores sovereign equality, respect for international law and the practice of multilateralism as global instability and uncertainty continue to rise.

"The initiative reflects China's view that global challenges should be addressed through cooperation and dialogue," Cui said. "China has long promoted the peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomatic means, helping to inject greater stability into global security."