Chinese President Xi Jinping met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beijing on April 8. Xi stressed that it is a basic policy of China’s diplomacy to safeguard the UN’s authority and status， and support the world body to play its role in global governance. China holds that all nations， big or small， are equal， and major countries should take proper responsibilities， said Xi.
　　Regarding the new trends and changes of global situation， Xi remarked that the challenges in various forms ultimately root in the deficiency of governance system and capacity. To resolve the challenges， we need to consistently improve global governance. To this end， the Chinese government is carrying forward the five-sphere integrated plan to promote coordinated economic， political， cultural， social， and ecological advancement， which also constitutes the main content of building a community of a shared future for humankind.
　　Antonio Guterres said the peace and development issues that the world faces need global cooperation， which calls for strengthening the role of multilateral organizations. He expressed appreciation for China’s contribution to the UN and its key role in multilateral organiza- tions. China has， the UN chief noted， become the most important pillar for multilateralism and an indispensable， trustworthy force to boost world peace and development. Guterres also hailed China’s proposal of building a community of a shared future for mankind and implementing the Belt and Road Initiative， so as to bring prosperity to all countries.
　　Ambassador Zhang Ming， head of the Chinese mission to the EU， published an article on Politico website on April 4， titled“China and the EU Have a Joint Responsibility to Uphold the Rules-Based Multilateral Trade Order.”
　　“In a world of great uncertainties， a stable China-EU relationship is an invaluable asset. China and the EU， as major members of the WTO and each other’s comprehensive strategic partner， should take a clear stance against protectionism， jointly preserve the rules-based multilateral trade order， and keep the global economy on a sound and sustainable track. This is a joint responsibility of China and the EU. We must act together to make that happen.”


　　China， Austria Agree to Establish Friendly Strategic Partnership
　　Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen agreed on April 8 to establish a SinoAustrian friendly strategic partnership and advance bilateral pragmatic cooperation. Van der Bellen headed a large delegation in his state visit to China， including Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz， four cabinet ministers， and members of the business community.