China

I wish to begin by congratulating Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on having assumed the presidency of the General Assembly at its current session. I am confident that, with his outstanding ability and great experience, he will fulfil his lofty mission. I also wish to thank Mr. Deiss for his contribution as President at the previous session. I further wish to take this opportunity to warmly congratulate the Republic of South Sudan on becoming the 193rd member of the United Nations family. The first decade of the twenty-first century is now behind us. During that decade, the trend towards a multipolar world and economic globalization gained momentum. Countries became increasingly interdependent. Revolutions in science and technology brought profound transformations to human society. However, various traditional and non-traditional security threats and global challenges were intertwined with those changes, and the world was far from a peaceful place. As the second decade of the new century begins, the world has entered an extraordinary historical stage in its pursuit of peace and development, and continues to undergo profound and complex changes. Uncertainty and instability are increasing despite the generally peaceful international environment. Development is becoming an increasingly serious issue, and promoting common development has become a more important and pressing task than ever before. Global development is now at a new critical juncture. Global recovery remains fragile, international financial markets are volatile and the pursuit of sustainable development faces daunting challenges. The world economy therefore has to meet the crucial test of maintaining growth. Some countries in West Asia and North Africa are in continual political turmoil. Terrorist threats are spreading and global challenges growing. The international community faces a critical test in maintaining stability. The gap in development between the South and the North is as wide as ever. The number of people living in absolute poverty has increased by 64 million owing to the international financial crisis. Nearly 1 billion people suffer from starvation. Urgent action is needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It is imperative to step up international cooperation to help the least developed countries (LDCs) meet the basic needs of their people. In the face of these challenges, we share an important mission to achieve common development, and we also have rare new opportunities. Economic globalization has made the interests of countries more closely interconnected. Ensuring security through cooperation and promoting development through stability has become our shared desire. Countries are addressing development challenges in innovative ways. To overcome the crisis, developed countries have taken steps to improve their fiscal conditions, adopted stimulus measures and accelerated economic structural adjustment. Developing countries as a whole have maintained good growth momentum. In particular, the rapid growth in some emerging economies has driven the growth of the world economy. Progress has been made in the reform of the global economic governance structure, and various regional cooperation mechanisms are expanding. Efforts to accelerate the development of a green economy and explore new modes of sustainable growth have created new momentum and space for common development. Faced with new opportunities and challenges, we should work as a team to overcome our difficulties and pursue mutual benefit and common development. This is the responsibility and mission that history bestows upon all of us. To fulfil our mission, we need to take the following steps. We should foster sound momentum for global economic recovery. The underlying impact of the international financial crisis has yet to dissipate, and economic recovery is still fragile and uneven. We should intensify consultation and coordination, and send a strong message of solidarity and win-win cooperation so as to strengthen international confidence in global recovery and growth. We should work for a fair, just, inclusive and orderly international monetary and financial system, and promote the voice and representation of emerging markets and developing countries. China supports the transition of the Group of 20 (G-20) from a short-term crisis response mechanism to a long-term mechanism of economic governance. The G-20 should play a bigger role in global economic governance and in promoting the full recovery and growth of the world economy. 11-51384 42 We support the efforts of emerging markets to explore new modes of international economic cooperation. We strongly oppose protectionism in all its forms and call for strengthening the multilateral trading regime. The concerns of the least developed countries should be addressed, and efforts made to make the Doha Round achieve its development objectives. We should lay the political foundation for cooperative development. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community, and their equal right to development should be protected. Mutual respect and equality are the basic norms governing international relations and constitute an important guarantee for common development. In the current context, it is of particular and practical importance to adhere to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, to uphold the authority and role of the United Nations, to observe in good faith the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, and to promote democracy in international relations. We should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The internal affairs of each country should be decided by its own people. We oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs by whatever means and under whatever pretext. The diversity of the world is a valuable asset for the development of human society. It should be seen as a positive factor that allows countries to learn from one another, and should not be used as an excuse for the big to bully the small or the rich to ride roughshod over the poor in international relations. We should respect the right of each country to pursue the development path of its choice and we should respect the diversity of civilizations. We should seek common progress by drawing on one another’s strength with an open and inclusive mind, pursuing common ground while preserving differences. We should foster a security environment conducive to stability and development. History has repeatedly shown that stability and development go hand in hand. Without stability, there can be no development; without development, there can be no stability. In keeping with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, we should always use peaceful means to settle international disputes and hotspot issues. We should oppose the wilful use or threat of force, terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their forms, and we should uphold the common security of humankind. China respects the independent choice of the people of the Sudan and South Sudan, and hopes that the new-born country of South Sudan will enjoy stability and development. The international community should continue to support and encourage the Sudan and South Sudan to resolve their outstanding issues appropriately through dialogue and consultation, pursue amicable relations and common development, and uphold regional peace and stability. China has encouraged the Sudan and South Sudan to resolve their dispute through peaceful negotiation and has worked hard to advance the peace process between them. We support the proper settlement of the Darfur issue. We will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in advancing regional peace, stability and development. China has consistently supported the just cause of establishing an independent Palestinian State, and supports Palestine’s membership in the United Nations. We support efforts to achieve a two-State solution through political negotiation so as to establish, on the basis of the 1967 borders, an independent Palestinian State that enjoys full sovereignty, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We believe that progress should be made in parallel in the peace talks between Syria and Israel and Lebanon and Israel, with an ultimate view to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East along with peaceful coexistence between the Arab countries and Israel. We hope that the international community and the parties concerned will make unremitting efforts to this end and sustain the Middle East peace process. China is greatly concerned about the turbulence in West Asia and North Africa. We stand for the principle of non-interference. We respect and support the efforts of countries in those regions to independently handle their internal affairs, and we respect their aspirations. We hope that the parties concerned will resolve their differences through political dialogue and speedily restore stability and order in their respective countries. Libya has now entered a critical transition from a state of war and turmoil to national reconstruction. China respects the choice of the Libyan people and recognizes the National Transitional Council (NTC) as 43 11-51384 the governing authority of Libya and the representative of its people. We hope that, under the leadership of the NTC, the parties in Libya will launch an inclusive process of political transition through which they will maintain ethnic harmony and national unity, restore stability as soon as possible and begin economic reconstruction. China supports the leading role of the United Nations in Libya’s post-conflict reconstruction, and urges the speediest possible operationalization of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. China is also greatly concerned about developments in Syria. We hope that parties in Syria will exercise restraint, avoid all violence, further bloodshed and conflict, and act quickly to ease tensions. We believe that a Syria-led, inclusive political process aimed at promoting reform through dialogue and consultation is the right way to resolve the current crisis in Syria. The international community should respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria, and address the Syrian issue cautiously so as to prevent further turbulence and repercussions on regional peace. China welcomes the positive developments on the Korean peninsula. We believe that dialogue and consultation are the only effective way to address the issues of the peninsula. The Six-Party Talks are an effective mechanism for advancing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and for upholding peace and stability both on the peninsula and in North-East Asia. China has worked hard to promote peace through dialogue, and has played a unique role in easing tensions and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. China welcomes the recent resumption of dialogue between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, as well as between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States. We hope that the parties concerned will seize the opportunity, remain engaged in dialogue and work for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks. We should promote balanced development between the South and the North. The uneven development between South and North is the biggest imbalance in the global economy. Without balanced development, there can hardly be sustainable development. Unless underdeveloped countries shake off poverty and grow their economies, there can be no common global prosperity. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals on a global scale and on schedule is an urgent and arduous task. Developed countries should honour their commitments on official development assistance, open their markets, reduce and cancel debt, and their step up financial and technological support to developing countries. International financial institutions should use their resources to help developing countries, and particularly the LDCs, on a priority basis. Developing countries, on their part, should explore growth models that are conducive to development and poverty alleviation in order to achieve a higher level of development. Food security has emerged as a major challenge. The Horn of Africa is suffering from massive famine triggered by the most severe drought in 60 years. The international community should scale up assistance, stabilize the price of food and other commodities, and help developing countries enhance their capacity for autonomous development so that all countries and regions can enjoy the benefits of common development. The world witnessed major development, transformation and adjustment in the first decade of the twenty-first century. During this period, China enjoyed sustained and fast development, and its relations with the outside world underwent profound changes. China’s achievements in development, and its possible future course, have become a focus of international attention. Over the past 10 years, China’s economy continued to grow, and its people’s living standards rose markedly, thanks to the hard work of the Chinese people. Today, China has become the world’s second- largest economy, largest exporter, second-largest importer and largest emerging market. The basic living needs of China’s 1.3 billion people are being adequately met, and the number living in absolute poverty has fallen drastically. On the other hand, the difficulties China faces in terms of development should not be ignored. We remain a developing country with a large population, a weak economic foundation and serious imbalances and lack of coordination in our development. China will have to make persistent and strenuous efforts to achieve its development goals. Guided by our recently adopted twelfth five-year plan for economic and social development, we will pursue scientific development, accelerate the shift in our growth model, advance scientific and technological innovation and increase 11-51384 44 reforms and openness designed to promote long-term, steady and fast economic development, as well as social harmony and progress. The world will see a more open China, with more sustainable development and greater social harmony. China’s development has brought real benefits to the Chinese people and contributed to global development and prosperity. During the past 10 years, China imported close to, on average, $750 billion worth of goods annually, creating more than 14 million jobs for the relevant countries and regions. At the end of the twelfth five-year period in 2015, China’s total economic output will be around $8.6 trillion. It is expected that China will import about $10 trillion in goods in the next five years, which will further boost world economic growth. China needs the world in order to be able to continue to develop, and China’s development will in turn contribute more to the shared development of the world as a whole. As a developing country, China is committed to enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation with other developing countries, based on equality, and to enhancing its efforts to provide them with assistance and support. China has cancelled 380 debts incurred by 50 heavily indebted poor countries and LDCs, and will phase in zero-tariff treatment for 95 per cent of exports from the African LDCs with which China has diplomatic relations. We have completed more than 2,100 projects, including building schools and hospitals, in other developing countries, and trained 150,000 professionals in various fields for them. In sympathy with the pain of the countries and people in the Horn of Africa hit by famine, China has decided to provide those countries with RMB443.2 million in emergency food assistance and cash for purchasing food to help them overcome the famine. China has made notable efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. As it continues to develop, China will create more opportunities for world peace, development and cooperation. To advance common development, we must foster a sound international environment. Over the years, China has been dedicated to creating a peaceful international environment in which it can develop. At the same time, it has contributed to enhancing world peace through its own development. China has actively assumed international responsibilities as its capacity permits, and has worked to promote the peaceful settlement of issues in troubled areas. China participates actively in international peacekeeping operations; with a total of more than 19,000 personnel deployed in 28 United Nations peacekeeping missions, China is the largest contributor of United Nations peacekeeping personnel among Security Council permanent members. China has provided assistance in cash and kind to countries hit by earthquakes and tsunamis, and has sent rescue teams to carry out humanitarian relief operations in the affected areas. China is actively involved in the fight against piracy and in other areas of international cooperation. All these efforts have contributed to maintaining world peace and stability. The tide of history is surging forward. In the next decade, peace, development and cooperation will remain trends of the times, and China will not waver in its pursuit of development and progress. Peaceful development is the strategic choice that China has made to build a modern, strong and prosperous country and to make a greater contribution to the progress of human civilization. China will stay on that path, pursuing an independent, peaceful foreign policy and a win-win strategy of opening up its society. We are committed to achieving a better life for the Chinese people and greater development and prosperity for all humankind. We will achieve those goals through hard work, reforms and innovation, and by conducting long-term friendly exchanges and establishing equality-based, win-win cooperation with other countries. A prosperous, harmonious and stable China that lives up to its responsibilities will make a greater contribution to the prosperity and stability of the world and the common development of humankind. Let us work together to deepen cooperation and achieve development by sharing opportunities and meeting challenges together, and thus build a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.