Key to refugee crisis is enabling homecomings

On June 20, World Refugee Day, Yao Chen, a well-known Chinese actress and a UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador, was heavily criticized by the public for reportedly "calling on" China to invest more resources to help refugees. Later she claimed reports on her words were rumors, and that through her observation the common wish of the refugees, no matter where they are from, is to go home. The subsequent online debate highlighted the diversified views Chinese people hold on what is a thorny and emotive issue worldwide.

Truly the refugees are suffering hardships and are in great need of help, but there should be a proper approach to helping them, and efforts made to root out the cause of the rapid increase of refugees, which requires the concerted efforts of the international community.

As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday at a news conference during his one-day visit to Lebanon, more actions and urgency are necessary to curb the deterioration in the refugee crisis in the Middle East and find a solution as soon as possible. He noted that the refugees are displaced people, not migrants, and the international community should strive to create the conditions for them to return to their homes.