Interview: IFRC official says global initiatives put forward by China are of great significance

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Facing an uncertain international environment, several global initiatives put forward by China are of great significance to promoting peaceful world development, said Xavier Castellanos, under secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Speaking to Xinhua at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2024, which began on March 26 and will end on March 29 in the resort town of Boao in southern China's Hainan Province, Castellanos said that China has a long-term commitment to achieving a very human form of development. He noted that initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative are testimony to that commitment.

These global initiatives reflect China's determination and work to firmly safeguard world peace and development, and demonstrate China's responsible attitude as the largest developing country in the world, Castellanos added. "China sets a major example to many countries."

The theme of this year's conference is "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities."

"The topic of the conference is so crucial. Shared responsibility, focusing on global good, will bring peace, development and harmony," Castellanos said.

As green development is a key measure to address global climate change, he highlighted the importance of international cooperation on that front. He stressed that countries need to enhance their collaborative efforts to address the climate crisis and promote green transformation.

According to the Chinese government work report delivered earlier this month, China's installed renewable energy capacity surpassed its thermal power capacity for the first time in 2023, and the country accounted for over half of the newly installed global renewable energy capacity. And, in one of the government's major tasks for 2024, China will continue to enhance its ecological conservation work and promote green, low-carbon development.

Castellanos said he appreciates China's commitment to addressing climate change and achieving green development.

Looking to history, China's commitment to the climate has been extremely high since the 1990s, he said, commenting on China's role in global climate action. "China is a global leader in terms of climate change initiatives."

As one of the first signatories to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, China has always been an active participant in global governance on climate change, and has long demonstrated its climate action responsibility through concrete achievements, Castellanos noted.

China has done its best to participate in and effectively promote the whole multilateral process of climate change, he said.