生灵涂炭 | shēng líng tú tàn
Meaning: to plunge people into the depths of misery
Original: 当务之急，一是冲突各方要立即停火止战，停止一切针对平民的暴力和袭击，释放被扣押平民，避免更为严重的生灵涂炭。
Background: On November 21, 2023 Xi Jinping gave a speech at the BRICS Leaders’ Special Video Summit on the Palestinian-Israeli Issue. The speech called for a cease-fire, the resumption of the flow of humanitarian relief, and implementing a two-state solution. He used this 成语 to describe the potential for even greater misery. The characters make for very vivid language. Read the full speech below.
Source: 推动停火止战 实现持久和平安全
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