UN debate shows China's bigger global role

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) confers with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon prior to the UN Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York on Monday. Wang was presiding over the meeting to discuss maintenance of international peace and security, as current Security Council President. Mike Segar / Reuters

China has shown it is shouldering growing global responsibility by leading an open debate on global peace and security, while holding the presidency of the United Nations Security Council this month.

Senior diplomats from nearly 80 UN member states, including foreign ministers from Malaysia and Russia, participated in the debate on Monday, which was presided over by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also took the floor at the event.

The attendants debated the role of the UN over the past 70 years and the challenges it faces in continuing its mission to maintain international peace and security.

This year is marked by a number of anniversaries, including the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory in the anti-fascist war. Wang said he hoped the debate could be a prelude to a series of activities to commemorate the two anniversaries.

The high attendance for the debate shows that reflecting on history and reaffirming the commitment to the UN Charter are timely and important in a world still haunted by wars and terrorist attacks.

China was recognized as one of the important forces in the global war against fascism with its huge loss of lives and remarkable efforts both within and outside its national territory. And as a founding nation of the UN, and one of the nations that endorsed the UN Charter in San Francisco 70 years ago, China is determined to be a positive force in upholding the UN Charter to prevent war and maintain peace.

As its economy has grown, China has taken on more responsibility in safeguarding world peace and security in past decades, an endeavor no less important than the nation's efforts in World War II.

Since the Chinese army first participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions in 1990, the country has become the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. By September 2014, China had deployed more than 27,000 military personnel around the globe. Such efforts will continue.

In a nutshell, China's development should be seen as the growth of a force that safeguards peace and security. Under the framework of the UN and guided by the UN Charter, China is willing to plant the seeds of peace and security around the world.

Xinhua News Agency