China gifts the UN 'Zun of Peace' for 70th anniversary

President Xi Jinping presents the "Zun of Peace" as a gift to the UN, commemorating its 70th anniversary. The gift, modeled after Chinese ancient bronze artefacts "Zun" using cloisonné technique, shows China's support to the UN, said Xi. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he understands the seven doves and the sun on the gift symbolize not only peace but also the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan presented a gift from China to the United Nations at a ceremony with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters in New York on Sunday.

Xi said the gift - called The Peace Bottle - was to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN.

The Peace Bottle was inspired by ancient traditional Chinese bronze ware called “bottles" and carried to the UN best wishes from more than 1.3 billion Chinese people, Xi said.

Xi explained that the gift not only expressed China's long history and modern civilization, but also embodied the mutual learning and tolerance between different civilizations and cultures, which stimulates social progress and development.

The Peace Bottle conveyed the Chinese people's desire for and belief in peace, development and cooperation for win-win outcomes, which is consistent with the spirit of the United Nations Charter, Xi said.

In the coming decades, China looks forward to working with other nations to achieve the UN's dream, Xi said.

On behalf of the UN, Ban Ki-moon graciously thanked the Chinese people for the gift.