Li Shangfu Quotes

I once read a line written by Chinese soldier on his mission. And here I quote, “If people ask why go into such dangerous places to keep peace, please tell them someone must step forward to safeguard the fundamentals of human civilization.” This is a simple wish of a Chinese soldier. It is also a solemn commitment made by the Chinese military to the world.

It is so called rules-based international order. It never tells you what the rules are and who made these rules. It practices exceptionalism and double standards and only serves the interests and follows the rules of a small number of countries. A just an equitable environment for development meets the shared interests of Asia Pacific countries. Anyone who attempts to fleece the flock or prey on the weak will surely be opposed by countries in the region.

The Asia Pacific is a shared home where regional countries live and thrive. A sustained prosperity and stability in our region hinges on sound security and development environment. This is something that has not come easily. And regional countries have done so much to have made it possible. On the other hand, we should not ignore that the Asia Pacific faces unprecedented security challenges.

China must be and will be reunified. It is the aspiration of our people and in line with the trend of our times. We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with at-most sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force. If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second. We will fear no opponents and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, regardless of any cost.

In China, we have a city called Shangri-La in Yunnan Province and a small town also called Shangri-La in Sichuan Province. Shangri-La is synonymous with a utopia of purity, beauty, harmony and serenity.

China and the US should properly handle differences, brave difficulties and find the right way to get along. The past few years have seen China-US relations at record low since forming diplomatic ties. I believe you all know the cause to such a difficult situation. The world is big enough for countries including China and the US to grow together. The right way for China and the US to get alone is following the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

We will address security issues in emerging areas and explore the formulation of rules for space, cyber and biological security. In short, we will work towards a widely accepted, fair and equitable system of security rules.

The true design of pushing for NATO-like military alliances in the Asia Pacific is to hold countries in the region hostage and play up conflict and confrontation that attempts will only plan to the region into a whirlpool of division, disputes and conflicts. History has proven that block politics, division and confrontation have never delivered genuine security. They can only escalate tensions and destabilise the region.

First, mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony. Facts have proven that where there is hegemonism and power politics, there will be instability kills, and even worse. We, in China, believe that the key for countries to live in harmony is mutual respect and treating each other as equals. We are strongly opposed to imposing one's own will on others, placing one's own interests above those of others, and pursuing one's own security at the expense of others.

History has proven time and again that both China and the United States will benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation. China seeks to develop a new type of major country relationship with the United States. As for the US side, it needs to act with sincerity, match its words with deeds and take concrete actions together with China to stabilise the relations and prevent further deterioration.

Today, as we look around, we see sluggish global economic recovery, resurging cold war mentality, rising regional conflicts, and security threats emerging one after another. Our world is far from tranquil, and people across the countries long for peace, development and cooperation.

China upholds justice and equity and commits itself to bridging differences and enhancing solidarity. On the Ukraine issue, China has taken an objective and impartial stance based on the merits of the issue.

On the Taiwan question, it is the core of China's core interests. Taiwan is an internal affair of China, which is a primary and indisputable fact. Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese to decide. It groups no interference from foreign forces. As matter of fact, over 180 countries entered into diplomatic ties with China with the political commitment of abiding by the One China principle.

As the lyrics of a well-known Chinese song goes, when friends visit us, we welcome them with fine wine. When jackals or wolves come, we will face them with shotguns. This illustrates that the Chinese people's character of being friendly and kind but not intimidated by strong power.

Fourth, preventing block confrontation with openness and inclusiveness. The cold war mentality is now resurging and greatly increases security risks of block confrontation in the Asia Pacific. Some big power continue to promote its so-called Indo-Pacific strategy. China holds that no strategy should be based on ideological ground and aim to build exclusive military alliances against imagined threats, as this could easily lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.