On the afternoon of September 5, 2023, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger.

Xi Jinping spoke highly of the productive work the ICRC has done in the field of international humanitarianism over the past 160 years since its establishment, and expressed appreciation to the ICRC for its important contributions to world peace and progress.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and human society is facing many challenges, some familiar, some new. Under such circumstances, China does not stand aloof and seek only its own development. Instead it has strengthened cooperation with other countries to seek solutions and build a human community with a shared future. Xi Jinping said that he has put forth the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative in the hope of working with all other countries in the world to achieve economic development, improve people's livelihood, and seek mutual benefit and win-win results, and contributing China's philosophies and initiatives to strengthening global governance and resolving humanitarian issues.

Xi Jinping emphasized that humanitarianism is the greatest consensus that can unite different civilizations. The philosophies of the traditional Chinese culture such as "the benevolent loves others" and "do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you" are in harmony with the mission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Following the principle of putting the people first, China has won the biggest battle against poverty in human history. In the face of COVID-19, China has not only protected the lives and health of its own people, but also carried out the largest global humanitarian assistance in history. Facts have proven that China is an active supporter of, participant in and contributor to the international humanitarian cause. China is ready to work more closely with the ICRC to make important contributions to advancing the cause of human peace and progress.

Mirjana Spoljaric Egger congratulated China on being the country with the largest number of recipients of the 49th Florence Nightingale Medal, which demonstrates the ICRC and the international community’s high recognition of  China's achievements in advancing the humanitarian cause. China has always respected and implemented the international humanitarian law, and Belt and Road cooperation has promoted world development and advanced the global humanitarian cause. The ICRC highly appreciates China's positive role and important contributions in the international humanitarian cause and looks forward to further deepening cooperation with China to jointly make new contributions to promoting world peace and development and the international humanitarian cause.

Wang Yi attended the meeting.