Chinese FM meets chairman of Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday met with Surakiart Sathirathai, chairman of the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council (APRC) and former Thai deputy prime minister, who is in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to attend the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China's initiative to establish the IOMed provides a new option for the international community to resolve disputes and achieve reconciliation on a voluntary basis, adding that it is also a concrete action to uphold multilateralism and fulfill the spirit of the United Nations Charter.

China is willing to work together with Asian countries to effectively utilize regional mechanisms such as China-ASEAN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue in order to jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in Asia, he noted. 

Surakiart said he is honored to be invited to the Hong Kong SAR to witness the birth of the IOMed, noting that under the current international situation, the Chinese initiative is timely. 

The APRC looks forward to strengthening collaboration with the Chinese side to make greater contributions to peace and development in Asia, he added.