Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), attends a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on March 4, 2026. The NPC, China's national legislature, held a press conference on Wednesday, one day ahead of the opening of its annual session. Photo: Xinhua

The National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, held a press conference on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, one day ahead of the opening of its annual session. Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 14th NPC, briefed the press on the session.

When asked to comment on a reporter's question regarding the recent military operation conducted by the US and Israel against Iran, which resulted in the killing of its leader, as well as the recent seizure of the president of a sovereign country in Venezuela, and considering that US President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to take over Greenland, an Arctic territory of Denmark, and that as the unilateralism and the use of force in international relations arise, there are concerns about the breakdown of the global governance system and the weakening role of the United Nations rule, Lou stated that China is closely following the Iran situation and Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected.

China calls for putting an immediate stop to military operation, preventing further escalation of tensions, and resuming dialogue and negotiation to uphold peace and stability in the Middle East. To this end, China will continue to play its role of a responsible major country, Lou said.

Lou stated that China maintains that mutual respect and equality between all countries, big or small, is what progress of history demands, and the primary principle of the UN Charter. No country has the right to dominate international affairs, dictate the destiny of other countries, or monopolize development advantages, let alone impose whatever wishes on the world.

Lou noted that in the past year, the international landscape was moving toward an important watershed with economic globalization encountering the serious shock, and regional wars and cross-border conflicts breaking out frequently around the globe. Facing a changing and turbulent world, peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the only way out. President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative, stressing the need to uphold sovereign equality, abide by international law, practice multilateralism, advocate a people-centered approach, and focus on taking real actions. This is a Chinese solution for making the global government system more just and equitable.

Last year marked the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and also the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The devastation of the two world wars prompted deep reflection within the international community, and the United Nations came into being in response to the times, Lou said.  

More than 80 years of practice have shown that the role of the United Nations must be strengthened, not weakened; its status must be upheld, not replaced. As a major country in the world and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is willing to work with all countries to firmly safeguard the authority and status of the United Nations, firmly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, and make greater contributions to reforming and improving global governance and to building a community with a shared future for mankind, Lou said.

Global Times