Nation contributes to worldwide stability, prosperity, president says

President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China will unswervingly pursue the path of peaceful development and will, as always, be a promoter of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark in a congratulatory message to the opening of a commemorative event in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, marking the 2018 International Day of Peace.

Xi said peace is the common aspiration and earnest expectation of all mankind. However, he added, security threats that countries are facing today are increasingly complicated, and the threat of wars still remains.

Xi said the Chinese nation loves peace and understands that peace is precious.

As the event themed "Advancing the Building of a Community of a Shared Future for Mankind and Joining Hand in Hand for the Construction of a World of Lasting Peace and Universal Security", Xi said the concept is in step with the purpose of the International Day of Peace, initiated by the United Nations, and conforms to the fundamental interests of people from various countries.

He extended his warm congratulations on the opening of the event and expressed hope that participants will play an active role in promoting the building of a community of a shared future for mankind and a better world.

The International Day of Peace is observed annually on September 21. It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically a world without war and violence.

Addressing the event in a keynote speech, Vice-President Wang Qishan said the world today is interrelated and interconnected, so regional conflicts or crises will impact the whole of humanity.

The Chinese people value peace and stand ready to work along with the world's people to pursue, protect and enjoy peace, Wang said.

China called on countries to pursue a path of peaceful development, persist in peaceful coexistence and stay committed to building a new type of international relations featuring the spirit of mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, he said.

"We also call on various parties to jointly create a peaceful environment, and stay committed to building a community of a shared future for mankind," Wang added.

Around 150 politicians, leaders of peace organizations and think tanks from more than 50 countries attended the event.

Dominique de Villepin, former French prime minister, said the world needs a win-win approach like that advocated by Xi. "Whenever we are looking for a strategy of a zero-sum game, then of course we cannot have everybody embark on the same road toward peace."

Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda said that China's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative provide important inspiration and useful reference for world peace and stability.

Building on the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, the BRI put forward by China, not only promotes economic development but also heralds new opportunities for countries pursuing peace and stability, said Prachanda.

Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama appreciates China's contribution to promoting world peace, saying the China-proposed BRI has a goal of promoting peace and prosperity.