Common Responsibility

A Shared Belief 

The UN Charter clearly states that all countries in the world enjoy equal sovereignty, with inviolable internal affairs, and territorial integrity that must be assured. Countries advocate the settlement of international disputes through peaceful means, oppose threat or use of force in international relations, and eliminate security threats via cooperation. These precepts have since stood as the basic norms of contemporary international relations.

The charter also stipulates the duties, rights and obligations of member states. The UN Security Council is authorized to assume the primary responsibility of safeguarding international peace and security. The collective security mechanism has supplanted traditional military alliances and the outdated law of the jungle, and the framework of international laws in support of peace has come into existence.

Formulated in 1945, the charter constitutes the collective wisdom of representatives from various countries, according to Miguel de Serpa Soares, the under-secretary-general for legal affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel. During its 70 years of practice, it has conformed to era development and effectively maintained world peace.

During his meeting with a delegation from India in December 1953, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai first propounded the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The next year China, India and Myanmar jointly initiated these principles as the guideline for international relations and exchanges. More than 60 years have now passed, and the principles have not only become the foundation for China’s pursuit of an independent foreign policy of peace that has found its reflection in many bilateral treaties China has concluded with other countries, but also been included in a large number of multilateral treaties and international documents. They include the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations approved by the UN General Assembly in 1970, as well as the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order that a special session of the UN General Assembly adopted in 1974.

Mr. de Serpa Soares said that as the UN’s legal counsel, he could daily feel the impact of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. One major reason is that the principles, to a large extent, have been included in the UN Charter, thereby becoming an indispensable source for UN members when they discuss international laws, he explained. In 1961, the UN General Assembly proposed a topic, namely consideration of the principles of international laws relating to peaceful coexistence among states. Influenced by the Bandung Conference in 1955, the conference of non-aligned countries that was held in Belgrade in 1961 set these principles as the guideline for the Non-Aligned Movement.

To prevent international development organizations and traditional donor nations from imposing various political conditions in their assistance criteria, China hews to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities for international aid.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim was quoted as saying that the World Bank should adopt effective and non-ideological solutions to help the vast number of developing countries cope with various challenges of development in their efforts to reduce poverty and achieve common prosperity.” This idea is almost identical with the concepts of “seeking truth from facts” and “proceeding from reality in all work” advocated by China.

 

Then State Councilor Liu Yandong (first left) presents paintings on November 20, 2012 to the UN Children’s Fund to mark the 20th anniversary of China’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Active Constructor of the International Order

By implementing and defending UN-Charter-centric international laws and relations, China has concluded over 23,000 bilateral treaties, signed more than 400 multilateral treaties, and joined all of the UN’s specialized agencies, as well as a majority of global inter-governmental organizations. During cooperation with UN specialized agencies, many of China’s causes have reached international levels. Meanwhile China has shared with the international community its developmental model and experience. 

According to Li Dongyan, during the past decade, the way China participates in the UN peacekeeping and security affairs has changed. In addition to increasing the size of its peacekeeping personnel and the regions to which it dispatches teams, China has also participated more in civilian protection, humanitarian aid, and legal construction. At the time of the 70th anniversary of the UN’s founding, the Chinese government promised further support and participation in UN peacekeeping operations. China is considering sending helicopters for UN peacekeeping operations, and is willing to detail more peacekeeping police, such as legal and medical experts and crime detectives. The country will continue to support the construction and training of the African Union’s peacekeeping rapid response force.

In February 2011, during the UN Security Council open debate held in Brazil on the correlation between security and development, China stressed that development is the guarantee of security and appealed to the Security Council to pay due attention to the relationship between them, so achieving synchronous advances in politics, security and development. China also emphasized the construction of governance capacity during peace-building by providing basic services and facilitating reconstruction. This represents China’s thinking on UN peacekeeping and peace-building.  

China is an active constructor of the postwar international order and international rule of law. It is devoted to promoting democracy and rule of law in international relations, while actively building new international relations based on win-win cooperation. China is also an important force in defending the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, thus making the world more equal, harmonious and safe. The Belt and Road Initiatives and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank embody China’s latest practice in implementing these ideals.

China has thus far established various partnerships with 75 countries and five regional organizations, and is firmly committed to solidifying cooperation, maintaining common security, and enlarging common interests.

China adheres to the principle of inclusive development. Taking into full account various countries’ practical conditions and development patterns, China has fleshed out a new pattern of financing and fund utilization. By introducing industrial parks and special economic zones, it has helped recipient countries create an external environment that benefits their economic development.