The Preparatory Office of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) was established on Thursday in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to carry out inter-governmental negotiations over international conventions about the organization.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese State Councilor, sent a congratulatory letter to the inauguration ceremony of the office on Thursday.

Wang said that the world has entered a new round of turbulence and transformation with unilateralism, Cold War mentality and bullying prevalent. He referred to the deficit in peace, security and worsening governance, saying effective solutions to tackle challenges, the ability to build consensus, and the sense of responsibility to lead the trend of the times are needed.

As a responsible major country, China has always acted as a builder of world peace, a defender of the international order and a provider of public goods, and actively explored the pathways to peaceful resolutions of international disputes under the new circumstances, he said.

Wang noted that China has worked with relevant countries to jointly initiate the IOMed, in an effort to tackle differences through peaceful means, resolve disputes through dialogue and consultations, and reject zero-sum games for mutual benefit. He added that such an initiative echoes the international community's strong call for peace, security, fairness, justice and a win-win cooperation.

He also expressed his hope that the Preparatory Office will complete relevant negotiations at an early date and make greater contribution to the cause of human peace and toward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang delivered a speech on the inauguration ceremony via video.

Noting that the IOMed will be the world's first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to the settlement of international disputes through mediation, Qin said it's an important effort to practice the principle of settling international disputes by peaceful means enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

He has called for enhancing the participation of developing countries, training mediators from developing countries, and working to make the international dispute settlement mechanism fairer and beneficial to all.

The ceremony was attended virtually and on-site by representatives of countries that have signed on the joint statement on the establishment of the IOMed, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Laos, Cambodia, Serbia, Belarus, Sudan, Algeria and Djibouti.

Chinese Foreign Ministry and the HKSAR government signed the Arrangement on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation Preparatory Office in HK on October 21. The arrangement clarified the specific matters concerning the establishment of the IOMed.

The IOMed was established in accordance with the Joint Statement on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation, which was drafted and signed by China and many other countries.

Experts say that compared with arbitration and litigation, mediation has many benefits, the most important of which is that it reduces tension, conflict and risk between the two parties, and makes it easier to achieve reconciliation.

"Geopolitical turbulence is causing many disputes and controversies. So efforts are needed to build consensus. Against that backdrop, China is working with these other countries to establish the International Organization for Mediation - in the hope that international disputes and controversies can be resolved in a fair, reasonable, and peaceful manner, thus promoting friendly international exchanges and cooperation," said Professor Zhi Zhenfeng, a research fellow at Law Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

"The International Organization for Mediation will emphasize consultation and cooperation rather than a zero-sum game. It will be focused on international peace and cooperation, and certainly make a very important contribution to international governance," Zhi said.

(With input from Xinhua; CGTN's Chen Xiaoshu contributed to this story.)