Activities of Secretary-General in China, 17-18 October
On Tuesday, 17 October, at the invitation of the Chinese Government, the Secretary-General arrived in Beijing to take part in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
He began his activities with bilateral meetings, first with China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi.
This was followed by a meeting with Xie Zhenhua, the country’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.
In the evening, the Secretary-General attended a banquet hosted by President Xi Jinping and attended by participants of the Belt and Road Forum.
Early on Wednesday morning, the Secretary-General’s Spokesperson issued a statement condemning the strike on Al Ahli Anglican Episcopal Hospital in Gaza. (See Press Release SG/SM/21992.)
Later that morning, the Secretary-General delivered remarks during the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum. Infrastructure is the foundation of everyday life for people and economies, yet billions in the developing world lack access to basic systems and services, the Secretary-General said. He added that the Belt and Road initiative demonstrates that we have a historic opportunity to build modern, green cities, communities and transportation and power systems that place resilience and sustainability at the heart.
Turning to the latest developments in the Middle East, the Secretary-General expressed, once again, his horror at the people killed by a strike on Al Ahli Hospital, in Gaza. He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide sufficient time and space to ease the epic human suffering we are witnessing. Too many lives — and the fate of the entire region — hang in the balance, he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/21993.)
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General had a meeting, followed by a luncheon, with Han Zheng, the Vice-President of China.
He then went to the China National Convention Centre, where he delivered remarks at a high-level forum focusing on climate and titled the Green Silk Road for Harmony with nature. He told the audience that we must ensure that any new infrastructure investments, including through the Green Silk Road, should turbocharge a just and sustainable transition, away from planet-wrecking fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. (See Press Release SG/SM/21994.)
While at the Convention Centre, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with Võ Văn Thưởng, the President of Viet Nam. He then went to the UN compound in Beijing for a meeting with the United Nations country team.
The Secretary-General finished his programme in China with a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping.
A readout summarizing the Secretary-General’s meetings with the authorities of the People’s Republic of China was issued.
The Secretary-General left Beijing on Wednesday night and travelled overnight to Cairo.