China's top legislator calls for enhanced cooperation with IPU, foreign legislative bodies

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and legislative bodies of other countries to expand forms of exchange, enrich the content of cooperation and constantly work toward fruitful results, top Chinese legislator Zhao Leji said on Tuesday.

Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks in Beijing when addressing a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the NPC's affiliation with the IPU and the opening ceremony of the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries.

Zhao said the IPU is the most influential international parliamentary organization with a long history and large scale in the world today. It is an important platform for the legislative bodies of various countries to communicate and seek cooperation. Since the NPC joined the IPU 40 years ago, its cooperation with the IPU and legislatures of other countries has been deepened and strengthened, he noted.

He said that to deepen cooperation and implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, legislative bodies should treat one another as equals, respect and trust one another, respect the development paths and institutional models chosen independently by the people of each country, respect one another's core interests and major concerns, oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs, oppose camp confrontation and elite circles, and practice common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concepts.

Zhao urged all sides to facilitate common development, implement the sustainable development agenda and promote economic globalization that benefits all. He said all parties need to strengthen exchange and mutual learning, respect the diversity of world civilizations, and increase their sharing of governance experience.

He also called on all sides to strengthen multilateral coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, promote an equal, orderly, multi-polar world, and make the global governance system more just and equitable.

Tulia Ackson, IPU president and Tanzania's National Assembly speaker, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, and parliamentary leaders and representatives of 32 developing countries attended the opening ceremony.

When he met with Ackson prior to the ceremony, Zhao said that China is willing to continue working with the IPU to organize seminars for parliamentarians from developing countries, support the IPU in preparing for the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament scheduled for next year, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and make contributions to promoting world peace and development.

Ackson said the IPU is willing to deepen cooperation with the NPC and will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, noting that the IPU welcomes China to play a greater role in the organization.

At a meeting attended by Ackson, Chungong and the heads of delegations, Zhao said that as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, China is willing to deepen cooperation with the IPU and the legislative bodies of other countries to safeguard the interests of developing countries.