Foreign experts praise China's role in multilateralism following Xi's UN speech

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows the United Nations (UN) flag flying outside the UN headquarters in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Xi's speech was "a clear proof of the leadership and decisive role China is playing in the international arena," said Eduardo Regalado, senior expert at Cuba's Center for Research on International Politics.

BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The international community has spoken highly of China's role in global affairs after Chinese President Xi Jinping made a speech on Monday marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations (UN).

Xi said China stands ready to work with all countries under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to explore new ideas and new models of cooperation and keep enriching the practice of multilateralism under new circumstances.

"China is sending a strong message to the international community about the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation" to face the world challenges, said Eduardo Regalado, senior expert at Cuba's Center for Research on International Politics.

Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. (Chinese Medical Team/Handout via Xinhua)

He commended the significance the Chinese government gives to global governance, noting that Xi's speech was "a clear proof of the leadership and decisive role China is playing in the international arena."

In keeping with the UN Charter, China's role has been "fundamental for the development of multilateralism," Regalado added.

Experts have praised China's contributions to world development, both in some specific fields and in a general sense.

China's commitments to UN programs, particularly in climate, food and agriculture, offer a real prospect for maintaining "peace through agriculture," and meeting global challenges for the benefit of all, Kenneth Quinn, president emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation and former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, told Xinhua.

Children fetch water from a borehole in Guayotse Village, Eastern Region, Ghana, on June 18, 2018. The government of China is providing 1,000 boreholes for hundreds of rural communities in six out of the ten regions of Ghana to bring clean water to the people. (Xinhua/Zhao Shuting)

Lyazid Benhami, vice-president of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship, said China has brought to the United Nations "a broader vision of the international scene."

Professor Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King's College of London, lauded China for playing an "irrevocable role in global affairs."