Page 5 - ON BUILDING A HUMAN COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE
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BUILDING A HUMAN COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE


                   of the Red Cross. Over more than 150 years, the Red Cross has become
                   a symbol and a banner. In the face of  frequent humanitarian crises,
                   we should champion the spirit of humanitarianism, compassion, and
                   dedication and give love and hope to ordinary innocent people caught
                   in dire situations. We should uphold the basic principles of neutrality,
                   impartiality, and independence, refrain from politicizing humanitarian
                   issues, and remain committed to the non-militarization of humanitarian
                   assistance.

                   Ladies and Gentlemen,
                   Friends,
                        Great visions are simple and pure; all they require is action. Action
                   is thus the key to building a human community with a shared future. It is
                   my belief that the international community should work on promoting
                   partnership, security, growth, intercultural exchanges, and ecological
                   conservation.
                        We should build a world of enduring peace through dialogue and
                   consultation. When countries enjoy peace, so too will the world; when
                   countries clash, the world suffers. From the Peloponnesian War in the
                   fifth century BC to the two world wars and the Cold War that lasted
                   more than four decades, we have drawn painful and profound lessons.
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                   “History, if  not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future.”  By
                   establishing the United Nations, those before us won more than 70 years
                   of  relative peace for the world. What we must do is to improve our
                   mechanisms and methods to more effectively resolve disputes, reduce
                   tensions, and put an end to conflict and war.
                        The Swiss writer and Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse stressed
                   the importance of  serving “not war and destruction, but peace and
                   reconciliation.” Countries should foster partnerships based on dialogue,
                   non-confrontation, and non-alliance. Major countries should respect each
                   other’s core interests and major concerns, keep their differences under
                   control, and build a new model of relations based on non-conflict, non-
                   confrontation, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial cooperation. As
                   long as we maintain communication and treat each other with sincerity,
                   the “Thucydides trap” can be avoided. Big countries should treat smaller
                   ones as equals and avoid acting as hegemons imposing their will on



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