China welcomes more countries to join IOMed: spokesperson

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- As the initiator and host country of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), China welcomes more countries to join the IOMed, engage in close cooperation with the organization and together make new contribution to world peace and development, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

An inauguration ceremony for the IOMed was held on Monday in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended by representatives from over 30 founding member states and nearly 200 representatives from various sectors in Hong Kong.

The vision of the IOMed has a lot in common with the Global Governance Initiative put forth by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Guo said at a press briefing.

The IOMed aims to promote reconciliation, cooperation and harmony, defend fairness, justice and equity, uphold extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and focus on people-centered approach and real results, said Guo, adding that establishing the IOMed is a pioneering act in international rule of law.

The IOMed will play a positive role in advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity by promoting the rule of law, and will help make Hong Kong the "capital of mediation," he noted.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the IOMed in Hong Kong on May 30. He signed the convention on behalf of China.

Effective from August, the convention now has 37 country signatories and has been ratified by eight of them, Guo said, pointing out that the IOMed has seen its convention signed and put into effect, and started operation within just five months, which is not often the case for international organizations.

"This fully shows that the establishment of the IOMed echoes the trend of the times and is supported and welcomed by the international community," Guo said.