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Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 April 1999 Issue No. 424 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 April 1999 Issue No. 424
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Diplomatic honours
By Nevine Khalil
President Hosni Mubarak was met with a standing ovation on Tuesday as he entered the main hall of Beijing University, wearing a red-and-black robe and a black tassel cap. Accompanied by a procession of leading Chinese academics, Mubarak made his way to the stage to receive an honorary doctorate in international relations in recognition of his efforts to promote peace and stability in various parts of the world. His efforts to strengthen relations with China were also lauded.
In his acceptance speech to students, Mubarak said the award was a "sign of true fraternity" between the people of Egypt and China. The president then outlined his vision for humanity on the threshold of the new millennium. "We should pay more attention to the future because we will face new challenges and unprecedented problems," Mubarak said. His vision was based on "the belief that civilisations can never clash, that peace, justice, creative cooperation and comprehensive development should be closely guarded values, and that science is the basis for all progress."
Mubarak affirmed that technological and scientific advances around the world "should not be monopolised by any one group of countries, but are the property of all humanity." He asserted that the new world order "must achieve justice and equality between the industrialised nations of the North and the developing states in the South. Otherwise, [the new world order] will be too fragile and will collapse."
In what could be an allusion to the crisis in Yugoslavia, Mubarak said that "although a sense of responsibility towards humanitarian issues is required, this does not mean that any group of countries has the right to act outside the framework decided by the international community. It is the duty of all to comply with the rules laid down by the international community," he said.
Shanghai University will bestow the title of Al-Ustaz Al-Mustashar (the professor-counsellor) on Mrs Suzanne Mubarak today, for her role in launching the "Reading for All" programme as well as numerous libraries throughout Egypt.
