On behalf of the Chinese government, I would like to express warm congratulations on the inauguration of the preparatory office of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).

The world is now in a new round of turbulence and transformation. Unilateralism, the Cold War mentality and bullying acts are on the rise. Deficit in peace, security and governance is widening. Standing at a crossroads in history, we need effective solutions to tackle challenges, the ability to build consensus, and the sense of responsibility to lead the trend of the times.

President Xi Jinping stressed that peace is the most enduring aspiration of humanity. Disagreements and differences among countries are natural. What we need is dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect to expand the areas of converging interests and find the maximum common ground. As a responsible major country, China has always acted as a builder of world peace, a defender of the international order and a provider of public goods, and actively explored the pathways to peaceful resolution of international disputes under the new circumstances.

Mediation is rooted in traditional Chinese culture and widely appreciated by countries in the world. China has worked with relevant countries to jointly initiate the IOMed, in an effort to tackle differences through peaceful means, resolve disputes through dialogue and consultations, and reject zero-sum game with mutual benefit. Such an initiative echoes the international community’s strong call for peace, security, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.

I hope that with the strong support of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the preparatory office will complete relevant negotiations at an early date, and make greater contribution to the cause of human peace and to building a community with a shared future for mankind.