China, Qatar for stronger, greener and healthier global development

China’s ambassador Zhou Jian’s interview on President Xi Jinping’s speech at the 76th session of UN General Assembly

1. The General Debate of the 76th UNGA was held recently. How do you view this meeting and its context?
The world today is under the compounded impacts of the pandemic and profound changes across the world, both unseen in a century. Global economic recovery has been uneven, and the ‘Cold War’ mentality along with bloc confrontation is on the rise. Attempts to undermine the international order in the name of “rules” have been rampant. Hotspot issues and local conflicts remain volatile, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.
In all countries, people long for peace and development more than ever before, their calls for equity and justice are growing stronger, and are more determined in pursuing win-win co-operation. How can the world unite to defeat the pandemic and achieve economic recovery? How can countries, especially major powers, live in harmony? How can the international community uphold and the core role of the United Nations? These issues have become major challenges to the world and will define the direction of the world’s future development.
All countries should make the right choice that conforms to the trend of history. We are glad to see that an overwhelming majority of countries, including China and Qatar, have provided firm answers to the questions of our times. We need to defeat the pandemic in solidarity, work together to promote economic recovery and common development, and uphold and practice true multilateralism. These also reflect the joint consensus of the international community and the wish of people worldwide.

2. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and President Xi Jinping both delivered important speeches at the General Debate of the UNGA. In your opinion, what do the two leaders have in common?
This year’s UNGA is of special significance for both China and Qatar. It is the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the UN, as well as the 50th anniversary of Qatar joining the membership of the UN. At this important historical time, President Xi Jinping and His Highness the Amir delivered important speeches at the General Debate, demonstrating their global, broad and strategic vision as responsible statesmen and charting the course for global governance. I have studied the two important speeches and felt deeply that China and Qatar share many similar views on international and regional issues.
We both call for solutions to development problems. Development is the ultimate aspiration of human species. As the world’s development cause is standing at a crossroads, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative at UN, which focuses on principles of development as a priority, people-centred approach, benefits for all, innovation-driven development, harmony between man and nature, and results-oriented actions. The initiative forges greater synergy among multilateral development co-operation process, with priorities including poverty alleviation, food security, pandemic response and vaccines, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialisation, digital economy and connectivity. It will contribute to speed up the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build a global community of development with a shared future.
This initiative has set out a blueprint for the development and co-operation among countries, and pointed the way forward for global development and international cooperation. We welcome all countries to join the Initiative and work together to create a brighter future for global development. In recent years, Qatar has undertaken a development path with economic diversification and wider opening up to the outside world. Striving to realise the 2030 National Vision, Qatar has been actively committed to promoting common development of all countries in the world. Earlier, His Highness the Amir announced $100mn assistance to island countries and LDCs. Last year, Qatar provided $530mn humanitarian assistance to developing countries to support medical care, education and infrastructure. We highly appreciate Qatar’s contributions.
We both advocate active response to climate change. President Xi Jinping pointed out that we need to improve global environmental governance, actively respond to climate change and create a community of life for man and nature. China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. China will step up support for other developing countries in green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.
His Highness the Amir said that climate change remains one of the most critical challenges of our time, as it brings with it disastrous impacts on all aspects of life for the current and future generations, which necessitates pursuing our joint efforts to confront these effects. Tackling climate change has been at the forefront of Qatar’s policy priorities, with continued measures to development green technologies and clean energy.
We both support co-operation to defeat the pandemic. President Xi jinping said that we must beat Covid-19 and win this decisive fight crucial to the future of humanity. We need to strengthen international joint prevention and control to minimise the risk of cross-border transmission. We need to make vaccines a global public good and ensure vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. One of the pressing priorities is to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines globally.
His Highness the Amir pointed out that an important lesson the pandemic taught is the importance of integration between the indispensable role of the state within its borders, and its role in confronting cross-border issues and joint commitments to confront challenges, crises and disasters. We should work to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines around the world, as well as the accessibility to developing countries.
We both practise true multilateralism. President Xi Jinping has stressed that we must improve global governance and practice true multilateralism. In the world, there is only one international system, i.e. the international system with the UN at its core. There is only one international order, i.e. the international order underpinned by international law. And there is only one set of rules, i.e. the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
His Highness the Amir said that the relationship between Qatar and the UN has been characterised by close co-operation and the establishment of exemplary partnerships in various fields. Qatar has become a hub of international multilateral action in the region, and its bet on international institutions and multilateral cooperation is a strategic one. His Highness affirmed pursuing contributions to supporting the United Nations entities and fulfilling commitments to the issues identified by the international community as priorities at this stage.

3. As Your Excellency said, the two heads of state share broad consensus on international and regional issues. What co-operation can China and Qatar carry out in this regard?
China and Qatar will uphold the flame of solidarity. In 2022, with precautions to the pandemic, China will follow the principles of “green, inclusive, open and clean” and host a simple, safe and wonderful Winter Olympics. Qatar will become the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup. We are ready to work together to turn these events into grand gatherings of peace, friendship and solidarity. With the belief of “Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together”, these events will boost the confidence of mankind and solidarity in times of difficulty, strengthen the bond of all countries, and make remarkable history in the history of world sports.
We should build a strong defence against the pandemic. As the pandemic continues to rage around the world, cooperation is only the right way forward. President Xi Jinping announced at the UNGA that China will strive to provide a total of 2bn doses of vaccines to the world by the end of this year. In addition to $100mn donation to Covax, China will donate 100mn doses of vaccines to developing countries in the course of this year. This is another major step taken by China to fulfil its commitment to make Covid vaccines global public good.
China welcomes Qatar’s participation in the Belt and Road Vaccine Partnership Initiative and stands ready to work with Qatar to promote fair and reasonable distribution of vaccines around the world. The pandemic will be defeated, and so is the political virus. We need to work together to ensure science-based origin-tracing, oppose politicization and political manipulation, and maintain sound global cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, thus making more contributions to the building of a global community of health for all.
We could join hands on road of green development. This year, Chinese electric buses arrived in Qatar, giving a strong boost to Qatar’s efforts to host a green and low-carbon World Cup. Accelerating transition to a green and low-carbon economy, achieving green development have become a new driving force for China-Qatar co-operation. We are ready to work with Qatar to strengthen cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy and green finance, build more eco-friendly projects and enhance our partnership in green development. We need to actively respond to climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, improve global environmental governance, pursue greener, stronger, and more balanced global development, and jointly build a community of life together for man and nature.

4. The Afghan issue has recently become the focus of the international community. Qatar has played an active role amid the sudden changes in Afghanistan. How does China view the current situation in Afghanistan? How can Qatar and China co-operate on this issue?
The current situation in Afghanistan has undergone fundamental changes and is at a crucial stage of moving from chaos to governance. Over the years, Qatar has played a unique role in the Afghan issue, hosted Taliban’s political office in Doha, facilitated talks between US and Taliban to reach a peace agreement, and held internal negotiations among Afghan parties to achieve political solutions. Recently, Qatar has made significant efforts in the evacuation of thousands of people, restoring Kabul airport, providing humanitarian aid, and promoting peace in Afghanistan. China highly appreciates Qatar’s efforts.
As an important neighbour of Afghanistan, China always actively supports the Afghan peace and reconciliation process and supports the Afghan people in independently choosing a development path suited to their national conditions. It is fair to say that China and Qatar have similar positions and close coordination on the Afghan issue. We all believe that Afghanistan should realise peace and stability at an early date to meet the aspirations of the Afghan people for development and prosperity. We do not want to see the recurrence of war and disaster in Afghanistan. We should both encourage Taliban to establish an inclusive political system through dialogues with all parties, follow a moderate and stable domestic and foreign policy, respect the human rights of ethnic groups, women and children, make a clear cut with terrorist forces, and develop friendly relations with all countries, especially neighbouring countries. In the next stage, China will continue to strengthen co-operation with Qatar and play a constructive role in seeking peace, development and consensus building in Afghanistan.  Afghanistan’s national reserves are state assets and should belong to and be used by the people. Unilateral sanctions or restrictions on Taliban should be lifted. We should encourage all countries to engage with Taliban instead of isolation. We should jointly guide Taliban to work with all ethnic groups and factions in Afghanistan, and establish a government with broad representation.
We need to urge Taliban to fulfil its commitment, make a clear cut with terrorist forces and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a shelter of terrorism again. We need to step up humanitarian assistance to help the Afghan people in difficulties. China will provide assistance worth 200 million yuan in line with the need of its people, including donating the first 3 million doses of Covid vaccines. China is ready to work with Qatar to provide further assistance to Afghanistan and ensure that the supplies will benefit the Afghan people at an early date.