Distinguished Mr. Li Ruohong, 

Diplomatic envoys, colleagues, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Friends,

Good afternoon!

First of all, please allow me to express my gratitude for inviting me to be a part of the Peace Garden Peace Festival. China is a peace-loving country. Beijing is the capital of China. And autumn is the loveliest season in Beijing. So today it is most fitting to organize the Peace Garden Peace Festival in Beijing at such a time. 

Today, when we get together to pray for peace, we cannot fail to remember the First and Second World Wars which have brought the world to a disastrous ends; neither can we fail to remember the Opium War, the Sino-Japanese War and the War of Resistance against Japan. Let us pay our tribute to those heroes and martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the elimination of war and maintenance of peace! They are peace-keeping angels who will always live in our hearts. War is a great lesson that gives people a better understanding of the preciousness of peace. 

History has repeatedly proved that peace is not fallen from the sky; it is achieved by the collective work of peace-loving people around the world who shed blood in one struggle after another. Today, through the efforts of generations, peace and development have become the main theme of our time. However, various kinds of hegemony, power politics, cold war mentality and terrorism are still menacing peace. The world today is still not peaceful, and the maintenance of peace and the promotion of development remain the common task and mission facing all mankind. 

There is only one earth, and the earth, a colorful place, is our common home. Regardless of countries’ strength, size, disparity between rich and poor, we all live on the same earth. No matter how much different is our social system, religion, and development path chosen by our people, we all live on the same earth. No matter how big difference and dispute between us, we all live on the same earth. Especially in today’s world of economic globalization, political multi-polarization, cultural diversification and social information, our fate is also the fate of mankind, and our fate is closely knitted. One shall not only live a good life for oneself, but should also provide favorable conditions for other’s living. Only when everyone lives a good life can oneself live happily. To achieve peace, we must foster the awareness of a shared future for mankind. Prejudice and discrimination, hatred and war will only bring disaster and pain, while mutual respect, equal co-existence, peaceful development and common prosperity are the right choice for us. All countries should jointly safeguard the international order and international system with the UN Charter as its tenet and regulation; actively build a new type of international relations featured by win-win cooperation; and jointly promote the lofty cause of world peace and development. 

Gentlemen, ladies and friends,

Peace and security, economic and social development, and the maintenance of basic human rights are the three pillars of the United Nations. Development does not only serve as the basis of peace and human rights, but also hold the golden key to solving various problems facing the human race. The Belt and Road initiative proposed by Chinese government and the supporting Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Silk Road Fund are the largest international public goods dedicated to the world by the Chinese government. The initiative provides a broad platform for win-win cooperation and common development among countries, and it is by no means, as some friends called, a vehicle facilitating the geopolitics. We have never underestimated and we will never underestimate the difficulty and complexity of building the Belt and Road, but we are firmly convinced that the initiative will make a significant contribution to the safeguard of world peace and development. The sincerity of the Chinese government is so evident that it can be testified by the sun and moon and by the heaven and earth. 

Peace requires us to struggle, to fight, to maintain. This requires the joint efforts of government, civil society and non-governmental organizations around the world. I am pleased to see that more and more NGOs are beginning to commit themselves to this historic undertaking. For many years, under Mr. Li Ruohong’s direction, China World Peace Foundation have been actively engaged in the promotion of peace. As a retiree from the diplomatic front after years’ devotion, I am now conveying my deepest respect to all of you.

Finally, I would like to conclude my speech by quoting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japan and the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Xi solemnly stated that China will always adhere to the path of peaceful development for the sake of peace; the Chinese people have always loved peace; no matter at what phases of development, China will never seek hegemony and expansion. The Chinese people will co-exist friendly with the people of the world, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will faithfully carry out the sacred mission of safeguarding world peace. Justice will prevail, peace will prevail, and people will prevail!