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11:03, 06-Jun-2018
ICRC president promotes humanitarian focus on Korean Peninsula
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By CGTN's World Insight
Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan met with Peter Maurer, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president, last week to speak about the humanitarian work on the Korean Peninsula.
The ICRC is a widely recognized emergency response organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. Maurer encouraged the Chinese Red Cross to cooperate with the ICRC on the Belt and Road.
CGTN's senior correspondent Tian Wei caught up with Maurer on his views on how the Chinese Red Cross can cooperate with the ICRC on the Belt and Road.
"When I look at the countries on the Belt and Road, they are at the same time fragile countries and places," said Maurer, adding "We counted more than 40 countries on which ICRC has operations."
In regards to the Korean Peninsula, Maurer expresses, "some of the most intrinsic political issues on the Korea Peninsula may be solved or brought towards some more positive dynamic." This brings comfort because they have been dealing with some of the fundamental humanitarian issues over the last decades, it helps others to see a positive development in the future.
"This positive development will not only lead to the nuclear disarmament from Korea Peninsula, but also pay off in terms of interests of people, and interests of people start with having clarity on where their relatives are, being able to see to meet to travel. Then start with addressing more permanently some of the humanitarian challenges, particularly in the North."
The ICRC's work is not only making a contribution to the stability of societies but also helping people cope with problems and preparing them for more ambitious development.
Maurer expressed their readiness to cooperate with the Chinese Red Cross. "We should think about the Belt and Road, not only in terms of infrastructure development but also humanitarian Belt and Road connecting people and helping people to find a certain perspective and to create preconditions under which development can happen."
World Insight with Tian Wei is a 45-minute global affairs and debate show on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 10:15 p.m. BJT (1415GMT), with rebroadcasts at 4:15 a.m. BJT (2015GMT).