China seeks to bolster international cooperation through regional forum

Xizang (Tibet), China: China will pursue its commitments to enhance international cooperation with nations in the range of the Himalayan region to promote the goal of building a global community for a shared future for mankind.

China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Wang Yi, addresses the third China Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation in Nyingchi City on Thursday.

To promote more effective and comprehensive international cooperation, the forum was first held in 2018 and the second forum was held in-person in 2019 as part of the government of China’s efforts and proposal to deepen mutual understanding, promoting joint development strategies among the countries.
In addition, the forum was formed with the goal to address an array of regional issues, including geographical connectivity, environmental protection, ecological preservation, and enhancing cultural linkages.
The theme for this year’s meeting is “Ecological Civilisation and Environmental Protection”. This is also the first in-person meeting to be held since the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of this year’s forum, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Wang Yi, said “Currently, the century-old changes in the world are accelerating and the Asian century is coming. The countries in the Himalayas are geographically connected, culturally similar, and shared in destiny.”
He noted that these countries have highly similar views on ecological protection and are partners walking hand in hand in the process of achieving modernisation.
“Therefore, we will build a highland for ecological civilisation, further deepen international exchanges and cooperation in the field of ecological protection, and protect this pure land of blue sky and clear water for mankind.”
Mr Wang said China welcomes friends from the international community to visit Tibet, learn first-hand Tibet’s green development story, ecological environmental protection story, and national unity story, and witness with their own eyes the beautiful Tibet, the happy Tibet, and the prosperous Tibet.
With the concept that green waters and green mountains are gold and silver, and ice and snow are gold and silver, China will promote the protection of biodiversity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, unswervingly follow the path of ecological priority and green development, and strive to establish a modernisation in which man and nature coexist harmoniously.
Under the personal guidance of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government attaches great importance to the construction of an ecological civilisation in Tibet, and makes every effort to protect the life, vegetation and mountains of the snow-covered plateau, and has achieved historic achievements.
This year is the first year for China to comprehensively build socialist modernisation and comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernisation.
Xizang (widely known as Tibet) has become one of the regions with the best environmental quality in the world. Its ecological value continues to be released, its environmental protection advantages are increasingly evident, and its green development is full of vitality.
“As part of this significant achievement, we actively support green development and have launched a number of cooperation projects with Himalayan countries in areas such as clean energy, water conservancy projects, sewage treatment, forest protection, and response to climate change,” Mr Wang Yi told the forum.
Several regional dignitaries including the deputy prime minister of Mongolia, interim foreign minister of Afghanistan, the Pakistani caretaker foreign minister, and foreign scholars from other regions were invited to share and exchange views on interconnection cooperation at the forum.
Foreign journalists under the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) from Asia, the Pacific, Africa and Latin America were also present to cover the conference.
Bounfaeng Phaymanivong, a journalist with Lao Press in Foreign Languages (Vientiane Times), is taking part in a four-month China Asia Pacific Press Centre 2023 Programme as one of more than 80 media personnel from almost 70 countries. The programme has been set up by the China Public Diplomacy Association under the supervision of the China International Press Communication Centre.

By Bounfaeng Phaymanivong
 (Latest Update October 6, 2023)