Disarmament society 'plays big role' in diplomacy

The Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD) will have a larger role to play in China's overall layout of diplomacy this year, a senior CPC leader has said.

Wang Jiarui, Minister of the International Department at the Central Committee of CPC (IDCPC), the parental agency of CPAPD, said on Friday that the CPAPD's undertakings in non-governmental diplomacy is a major component in the country's inclusive effort to forge friendships with other nations.

Though there are those in the West who still disagree with the Communist Party of China (CPC), most people nonetheless agree China is an indispensable participant in terms of having major things done, said Wang at the election of the CPAPD chairman upon the expiration of the previous term.

"Most Westerners still don't know about China. They tend to take for granted what the media say about China, assuming that equals what China really is. In this situation, the CPAPD, from its grass-root, non-governmental exchanges between peoples, has a larger role to play to make China better known to these people," Wang explained.

He also urged the CPAPD, which consists of prominent figures from both political and academic circles, such as Justin Lin Yifu, former chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank, to offer their "ideas on the forward spin regarding the current situation" for the central CPC and governmental authorities to deliberate.

"The West is unlikely to accept whatever the CPAPD says; our effort is not to convince them all at once, but to make them start thinking through our repeated efforts of showcasing amity," Wang said.