China on Wednesday backed the United Nations, saying it played an “irreplaceable role” in safeguarding global peace and security, countering US President Donald Trump’s scathing criticism against the world body. Over the past 80 years, the UN has played an irreplaceable role in safeguarding international peace and security and promoting global development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

“China always believes that in a world as turbulent as ours, it is all the more important to uphold and defend the authority of the UN”, he told a media briefing here responding to a question on Trump’s remarks castigating the UN as a feckless institution which failed to live up to its potential.

It is not even coming close to living up to that potential, Trump said in his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, though afterwards he expressed the United States’ 100 per cent support to the world body Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“For the most part, at least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter. It’s empty words and empty words don’t solve wars,” Trump said.

Guo said as a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China firmly supports the UN in playing a core role in international affairs.

“China stands ready to work with other member states to renew the founding mission of the UN, reaffirm the commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and revitalise the UN’s authority and vigour in the new era, so as to play a bigger role for safeguarding world peace, promoting common development and building a community with a shared future for humanity”, he said.

Guo also said Chinese Premier Li Qiang who is currently in New York to attend the UNGA, addressed a High-level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the UN headquarters.

The GDI, which was put forward by President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly in 2021, has played a leading role in promoting common development, he said.

This important initiative has attracted the participation of over 130 countries and international organisations and has become a widely welcomed international public good, Guo said.

– Ends

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