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Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Conferred with Honourary Doctorate

13th August 2009

On Wednesday 12 August 2009, Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, was conferred with the degree Doctor of International Relations (DIR), honoris causa, by the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

At the elegant summer’s morning ceremony on the lovely GSD campus in Geneva, attended by the diplomatic corps and senior officials of international organizations, as well as leading academics, Minister Yang spoke eloquently on the theme “Uphold World Peace and Promote Common Development”.

“The Chinese people love peace. Our endeavor to rejuvenate the Chinese nation is not a threat to the world. Rather, it represents an opportunity and our contribution to the world. We maintain that all countries, big and small, strong and weak, rich and poor, are equal, and we respect the right of people of all countries to independently choose their own development path” said Minister Yang.

Minister Yang began his important foreign policy statement expressing “sincere thanks to the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations (GSD) for awarding me this honorary doctorate.” The Minister continued “ The GSD, with its rigorous scholarship, is a world renowned institution and I am truly honored to receive an honorary doctorate from such a prestigious school”.

Foreign Minister Yang addressed the following key points:

  • we (the Chinese people) are committed to following the path of peaceful development
  • we are committed to pursuing a win-win strategy of opening up
  • we are committed to building a harmonious world
  • we are committed to developing friendly relations and cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence
  • we have taken an active part in the international efforts to address global issues
  • we have worked vigorously for the proper settlement of hotspot issues

    • In his welcome address, Dr. Colum Murphy, President of GSD, noted that “history teaches us that among great powers, change is both welcome and dangerous. It needs to be wisely managed. To avoid the conflict that comes from new alignments and new misperceptions, the wise leadership of men and women of Minister Yang’s caliber is sorely needed.”

    Our new General Manger, Mr. Jon-Hans Coetzer, meeting with Dr. Yang Jiechi,
    Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China

    Dr. Murphy read the citation on the honorary doctorate. It reads:

    Yang Jiechi

    For the creative vigor of his new thinking – rooted intellectually both in his Chinese patriotism and his international studies in the West – in the promotion of peace and harmony between China and the rest of the world; for his brilliant and steadfast addressing of new key issues such as climate change, the protection of scarce natural resources and the urgent development of new green energy; for his vital work in safeguarding the nuclear non-proliferation régime, and for his outstanding contribution to making of this, therefore, a safer planet – a world in which peace and human rights are recognized as universal values, common to all humankind, is hereby, by the authority committed to us in law, conferred with and admitted to the University Degree of Doctor of International Relations, honoris causa.