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Experts, leaders discuss int’l security issues in China forum

By Greggy Eugenio

July 16, 2018, 11:54 am

BEIJING, China -- Former politicians, key opinion leaders and researchers have gathered to discuss solutions to the security challenges faced by the international community during the two-day 7th World Peace Forum which ran from July 14 to 15 in Beijing, China.

Shaukat Aziz, former Pakistan Prime Minister, said that any country should not ignore dialogues to achieve peace, citing the importance to retain channels of communication open to any situation.

“It is important to keep the channels of communication open even with the most difficult circumstances and situation. We must never run away from dialogue and diplomacy. These are the key factors for solving issues we face,” Aziz said.

Herman Van Rompuy, former European Council President, meanwhile explained how cooperation is important in achieving a good relationship for an open economy for all.

“The EU wants a positive agenda with China, about what we can do to our bilateral relationship. China and EU will then stand stronger in our endeavors for keeping the world economy as open as possible,” he said.

For his part, Yang Jiechi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, described the “international situation” as becoming more unstable, uncertain and unpredictable.

This fast evolution, he said, can be resolved by promoting peace to build a shared future for all.

“We believe that countries should dedicate themselves to global peace and common development, realize a world of lasting peace and universal security, and build a community with shared future for all mankind,” Yang said.

“To ensure lasting peace amidst these profound security shifts, many new different solutions have come up. We owe it to our people to pass on the torch of peace, to create sustained impetus for development and to rekindle the light of civilization,” Yang added.

Other key opinion leaders from various countries who shared their experience and insights in the plenary panel include Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan and Jose Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission.

The World Peace Forum is the first non-government high-level global forum held in China since 2012.

It aims to provide a platform for strategists and think tank scholars from countries around the globe to discuss international peace and security.

The forum was organized by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, bannered by the theme "Constructing a Security Community: Equality, Equity and Justice." (PNA)

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