Chinese FM Wang Yi Meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon at the UN headquarters in New York on February 23， 2015. Wang Yi said that the UN Security Council （UNSC） Open Debate proposed by China was widely supported and welcomed by the international community. This fully indicates that under the turbulent international situation， referred to as“disorderly” by some people， all parties are more focused on how the UN， especially the UNSC， plays its role and fulfills its due responsibilities. They moreover hold that on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UN， it is necessary to reiterate their commitment to the purpose and principle of the UN Charter and reaffirm the basic norms governing international relations as defined by the Charter. China will enhance cooperation with the UN to organize a series of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN as well as the end of WWII.

Ban Ki-moon thanked China for successfully chairing the UNSC Open Debate. The UN is grateful for the support of the Chinese government in its work of safeguarding global peace. Ban Ki-moon said that China also plays an important role in addressing climate change and advancing sustainable development. It is hoped that China will continuously back and participate in the negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda and in the conference on climate change in Paris as well as the conference on development financing， and make its due contributions to these efforts.

Maritime Silk Road Seminar Held in Fujian

An international seminar on the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road opened in the city of Quanzhou in Fujian Province on February 11. At the opening ceremony， Jiang Jianguo， minister of the State Council Information Office， called for countries along the route to carry forward the spirit of the Silk Road and build a solid foundation for political mutual trust， give new impetus to win-win cooperation， have faith in peaceful development， and reinforce cultural bonds.

You Quan， secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee， said in his speech that the province will promote interconnectivity among countries along the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road， deepen diversified trade， actively deepen maritime cooperation with other nations， and push forward people-topeople and cultural exchanges. Others addressing the opening ceremony included Cai Mingzhao， president of Xinhua News Agency， Wang Weiguang， president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， Zhou Mingwei， president of China International Publishing Group and Zhang Fan， president of the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences.endprint

The seminar was hosted by the State Council Information Office and co-organized by Xinhua News Agency， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， China International Publishing Group and the Fujian Acad- emy of Social Sciences. Over 280 academics and experts from 30 countries were invited to take part.

Yang Jiechi Meets with Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs of the U.S.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi held a meeting with Susan Rice， Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs of the U.S.， in New York on February 25， 2015. Yang Jiechi mentioned that President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama recently had a telephone conversation， during which they raised important ideas on building the new model of major-country relationship between China and the U.S. The two countries should implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state， and thoroughly plan and carry out bilateral exchanges at all levels. They must respect each others core interests and major concerns， expand practical cooperation， enhance communication and coordination， properly handle differences and sensitive issues， and push bilateral relations towards greater progress.

Susan Rice said that the U.S. will together with China intensify exchanges and cooperation in all fields and at all levels， and join efforts to address regional and global challenges. It will meanwhile properly and effectively manage and control differences in a candid and constructive way.

Both sides also exchanged views on commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN， the post-2015 development agenda， climate change， counter-terrorism， the fight against the Ebola epidemic and other issues.

The Duke of Cambridge Launches the 2015 China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange

Britains Prince William， Duke of Cambridge， officially launched the UK Season of the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange in Beijing on March 2， 2015 during his first-ever visit to China. This inaugural UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange is a showcase for innovative UK culture in China and Chinese culture in the UK. Rt Hon Sajid Javid， Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Culture， Media and Sport， said that the Year of Cultural Exchange will be a wonderful celebration of UK and Chinese creative talent， and will help forge new business relationships between the two nations.

The UK Prime Ministers visit to China in December 2013， the High Level UK-China People-to-People Dialogue in Beijing in April 2014， and the UK-China Summit in June 2014 all demonstrate the growing strength of UKChina relations， with creativity and cultural exchange at the heart of developments. The UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange provides a unique opportunity to further deepen and strengthen the strong relationship between China and the UK across the arts and creative industries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prince William in Beijing and expressed keen anticipation of his visit to the UK later this year at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.endprint