STORY: China increasingly important in global humanitarian affairs: ICRC president
DATELINE: Sept. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:06
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China's humanitarian aid
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MIRJANA SPOLJARIC EGGER, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
3. various of ICRC
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MIRJANA SPOLJARIC EGGER, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

STORYLINE:

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday that China is an important participant and promoter of multilateral cooperation and international humanitarian cause. 

The ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger noted that China is playing an increasingly significant role in international humanitarianism.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MIRJANA SPOLJARIC EGGER, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
"I've had the opportunity to have a first-hand understanding of the growing importance that China is playing in the humanitarian action globally. You're, of course, an important player in the field of multilateral cooperation more generally."

Spoljaric said China, as one of the first countries to accede to the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, has been an active party in shouldering international humanitarian responsibilities.

She said the ICRC seeks to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Chinese side in the future.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MIRJANA SPOLJARIC EGGER, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
"One way of reducing the cost of war and human suffering is certainly compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL) because these rules contained in the Geneva Conventions are precisely meant to mitigate the humanitarian impact on civilians in times of armed violence. And China can play an enormously important role, in implementing IHL in peacetime, becoming a strong voice globally for the respect of international humanitarian law.
We need China's support to our humanitarian assistance that we provide across the globe. We want to deepen our cooperation with China and we want to be able in the future to rely on the support of China in helping us gather the resources that we need to continue operating."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)