Xiplomacy: Xi on China's peacekeeping endeavors, commitment to peaceful development

BEIJING -- The world marked on Saturday the International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers, which was designated by the UN General Assembly to pay tribute to people serving in peacekeeping operations and honor those who have lost their lives in the cause.

On various occasions, Chinese President Xi Jinping has expounded on China's contribution to international peacekeeping operations, and commitment to the path of peaceful development.

May 6, 2021

During a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Xi said that China has decided to offer vaccines to UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee, and will continue to actively support COVAX and make continuous efforts to eliminate the "vaccine divide."

April 20, 2021

Xi delivered a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021.

"China will stay committed to peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, develop friendship and cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and promote a new type of international relations," Xi said.

"However strong it may grow, China will never seek hegemony, expansion, or a sphere of influence. Nor will China ever engage in an arms race," he added.

Nov 12, 2020

Xi delivered a speech via video at the third Paris Peace Forum, stressing that peace and development are the theme of the times, as well as the unstoppable trend of history.

"We need to uphold multilateralism, oppose unilateralism, hegemony and power politics, and reject all forms of terrorism and acts of extreme violence," Xi said.

China follows an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to the path of peaceful development, Xi noted.

Xi called on all countries to uphold international law and the basic norms governing international relations, determine their position on the merits of each matter, and rise above ideological bias and confrontation.

China is willing to step up communication and coordination with France and other countries and play a positive part in efforts to secure political settlement of international and regional issues and uphold world peace and stability, he said.

Sept 3, 2018

In a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Xi said that China decided to set up a China-Africa peace and security fund to boost their cooperation on peace, security, peacekeeping, and law and order.

Fifty security assistance programs would be launched to advance China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and in areas of law and order, UN peacekeeping missions, fighting piracy and combating terrorism, he said.

Sept 28, 2015

Addressing a peacekeeping summit in New York, which gathered leaders and representatives of over 70 countries and international organizations, Xi said the international community should increase support for Africa, augment the continent's ability to maintain peace and stability, and help it resolve its own problems in its own way.

China, Xi added, maintains that the basic principles of UN peacekeeping should be followed, Security Council resolutions be carried out in full, and no country act beyond its given authority.