China

Please allow me to warmly congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. I am confident that with your wisdom and experience, you will be able to accomplish your lofty mission successfully. At the same time, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Opertti for the contribution he made as President of the General Assembly at its previous session. I also wish to take this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations to the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga on their admission to the membership of the United Nations. The current session of the General Assembly is of special significance, as it is the last one of this century. A review of the past may help us predict the future. In retrospect, during the past century humanity, on the one hand, created unprecedented material wealth and culture and, on the other, suffered from the scourge of two world wars and the ordeal of the cold war, which lasted for almost 50 years. Since the end of the cold war, the world has been moving towards multipolarity and the overall international situation has started to relax. The maintenance of peace, the pursuit of stability and the promotion of development have become the common aspiration and demand of the people of all countries. Nevertheless, the harsh reality suggests that the world is far from tranquil. The cold-war mentality still lingers on. Hegemonism and power politics have manifested themselves in new expressions. Military blocs are being expanded and reinforced, and there is an increasing tendency towards military intervention. Triggered by ethnic, religious and territorial issues, regional conflicts and disputes continue to emerge one after another. The conflict between the North and the South has become ever more acute. The gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow. World peace is still elusive, and development faces even more serious challenges. Hegemonism and power politics are the root causes of the turmoil in today’s world. The outbreak of war in Kosovo sounded a resounding alarm. A regional military organization, in the name of humanitarianism and human rights, bypassed the United Nations to take large-scale 15 military actions against a sovereign State, thus creating an ominous precedent in international relations. This act was a violation of the United Nations Charter and other universally recognized norms governing international relations. It has eroded the leading role of the United Nations in safeguarding world peace and security and gravely undermined the authority of the United Nations Security Council. During that war, the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was bombed, which caused heavy casualties and much loss of property. It was an incident such as has rarely been seen in diplomatic history, and naturally roused the utmost indignation of the entire Chinese people and the strong condemnation of the international community. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has held a clear and consistent position on the issue of Kosovo. We seek no selfish interests and are only upholding justice. For the sake of peace, we maintain that the Kosovo issue should be resolved through peaceful negotiations on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and with guarantees of the legitimate rights and interest of all ethnic groups in Kosovo. We are opposed to the use of force under any pretext. Mankind is on the threshold of the twenty-first century. Where should the world go? What kind of new international political and economic order should be established? These are urgent questions facing the Governments and the peoples of all countries. The world is undergoing significant and profound changes. A changed world calls for a corresponding new international political and economic order. World peace and development demand the establishment of a just and reasonable new international order, which is the common aspiration of the international community. It should be based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence, the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and other universally recognized principles governing international relations. In this connection, I wish to highlight the following points. The first relates to sovereign equality and non- interference in the internal affairs of others. Such arguments as human rights taking precedence over sovereignty and humanitarian intervention seem to be in vogue these days. Some countries have even put such arguments into practice. We believe that it is the sacred duty of all Governments to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and that all countries have an obligation to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of their own peoples in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international human rights instruments, and in the light of their respective national conditions and relevant laws. But as political systems, levels of economic development, history, cultural background and values vary from country to country, it is only natural that countries should have different interpretations and even diverging views on human rights. Countries should engage in dialogue and exchanges on the basis of equality and mutual respect so as to better understand each other, expand common ground and handle their differences properly, rather than resort to confrontation or interference in the internal affairs of others under the pretext of human rights. The issue of human rights is, in essence, the internal affair of a given country, and should be addressed mainly by the Government of that country through its own efforts. Ours is a diversified world. Each country has the right to choose its own social system, approach to development and values that are suited to its national conditions. The history of China and other developing countries shows that a country’s sovereignty is the prerequisite for and the basis of the human rights that the people of that country can enjoy. When the sovereignty of a country is put in jeopardy, its human rights can hardly be protected effectively. Sovereign equality, mutual respect for State sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of others are the basic principles governing international relations today. In spite of the major changes in the post-cold-war international situation, these principles are by no means out of date. Any deviation from or violation of these principles would destroy the universally recognized norms governing international relations, and would lead to the rule of hegemonism; if the notion of “might is right” should prevail, a new gun- boat policy would wreak havoc, the sovereignty and independence by virtue of which some small and weak countries protect themselves would be jeopardized and international peace and stability would be seriously endangered. The Kosovo crisis has proved that to engage in so- called humanitarian intervention in a sovereign State with neither a mandate from the Security Council nor the prior consent of the country concerned will cause a greater humanitarian catastrophe instead of resolving the problem. In view of this, under the current circumstances, the principles of respect for State sovereignty and non- interference in the internal affairs of others must be 16 effectively strengthened rather than weakened in order to maintain world peace and stability. The second principle is the pacific settlement of international disputes. This principle, initiated by the Hague peace conference 100 years ago, is now an important principle of the United Nations Charter and a basic principle of contemporary international law. History shows that deviation from this principle over the past century has led to, “the scourge of war, which twice ... has brought untold sorrow to mankind”, and to foreign aggression, which has inflicted tremendous suffering on the peoples of a number of countries. In the current international situation, adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes is still highly relevant to the contemporary world. The pacific settlement of international disputes is predicated on the non-use and non-threat of force in international relations. We maintain that handling State-to- State relations with the mentality and modalities of “hot” wars, cold wars, power politics or bloc politics will get nowhere. All international disputes and regional conflicts should be resolved in a fair and reasonable manner through peaceful negotiation and consultation on the basis of equality, rather than through the arbitrary use or threat of force based on the power of military superiority. Only in this way can fundamental solutions to disputes or conflicts be found without complicating or aggravating them or leaving behind a hidden peril. And only in this way can States coexist in harmony and achieve common development. This is the only way to lasting peace and stability in the world. Otherwise, the world will never be a tranquil place. The third principle relates to strengthening the role of the United Nations and preserving the authority of the Security Council. The role of the United Nations is indispensable for the achievement of genuine peace and development and for the establishment of a just and reasonable new international order. Strengthening the role of the United Nations is in line with the historical trend; it meets the needs of the times and conforms to the shared aspiration of all the world’s peoples. In order to strengthen the role of the United Nations, efforts should first be made to uphold the sanctity of the purposes and principles of the Charter. The most important reason why the United Nations has been able to grow from 51 founding Members to its current size is that it has acted according to these purposes and principles. Those purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations have already taken deep root in international practice and form a legal basis on which peaceful and friendly relations between countries are guided. It is the view of the Chinese Government that despite the great changes that have taken place in the international situation, the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter are still relevant. We are opposed to any irresponsible interpretation or revision of them, with whatever excuse. If the United Nations role is to be strengthened, the authority of the Security Council must be preserved. According to the provisions of the Charter, the Security Council shoulders primary responsibility for safeguarding international peace and security. It has been proved that the role of the Security Council is irreplaceable. Given the current circumstances, it is imperative to preserve its authority and leading role. Any act to weaken this authority or to impose the will of an individual country or a group of countries on the Security Council is very dangerous. Instead of contributing to the maintenance of peace, it will further breed power politics and hegemonism and will give rise to endless troubles. If the United Nations role is to be strengthened, it is essential to ensure that all Member States have the right to equal participation in international affairs, so that their reasonable propositions will be fully reflected and their legitimate rights and interests protected by the United Nations. Decisions adopted by the United Nations must give expression to the common will of the majority of its Member States. Any attempt by a few countries or a group of countries to monopolize world affairs and decide the destiny of the people of other countries goes against the trend of the times and will never succeed. Fourthly, we must foster a new security concept and safeguard international security. The old security concept is based on military alliance and arms build-up and does not help safeguard international security, still less build a lasting peace in the world. In today’s world it is necessary to foster a new security concept that satisfies the needs of the times and to explore new ways of maintaining peace and security. The core of the new security concept should be mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the purposes of the United Nations Charter are the political foundation for the maintenance of international security, while mutually beneficial cooperation and common development constitute its economic guarantee. Dialogue on an equal footing, full consultation and peaceful negotiations are the right way to maintain international security. 17 Relaxation in the international situation and the disarmament process are complementary to each other. It is regrettable, however, that some recent negative developments in the international situation have seriously hindered the healthy development of the disarmament process. How to promote the disarmament process, prevent an arms race and safeguard international security have become pressing concerns for the international community. We are opposed to any attempt, on the basis of excuses that are not genuine, to seek military strength that goes beyond a country’s legitimate defence needs. We are also opposed to any attempt to restrict and weaken other countries in the name of disarmament and non-proliferation in order to seek absolute, unilateral security supremacy for one country or group of countries. We call on the international community to take the new security concept as a guideline and wholeheartedly promote the healthy development of the disarmament process, in the interest of world peace and security. Fifthly, we must reform the international economic system and promote the common development of all countries. The old and irrational economic order has seriously impeded the sound development of the world economy, further widening the wealth gap between the North and the South. The East Asian financial crisis that broke out two years ago has affected many countries in the world. To prevent financial risks and ensure economic security has become an urgent task facing many countries, especially the developing countries. The world economy is an interrelated and indivisible whole. All members of the international community should take a responsible approach and, in a spirit of risk sharing, strengthen their cooperation and jointly promote a steady growth of the world economy. Therefore, it is necessary to reform the current international economic and financial systems. The United Nations and the international financial institutions should earnestly construct a framework to prevent and overcome financial and other economic risks. Accordingly, the developed countries should take on more obligations. The developing countries have the right to equal participation in world economic decision-making and the formulation of relevant rules. In the new round of negotiations that will soon begin in the World Trade Organization, the reasonable demands of developing countries should be fully reflected. Cooperation should be strengthened on the basis of mutual benefit. No country should prejudice other countries’ economic security and development by virtue of its economic, technological and financial advantages. We should all oppose trade discrimination, the rich bullying the poor and the arbitrary resort to economic sanctions or the threat of sanctions against other countries. The developed and developing countries both have their own advantages and should learn from each other to make up for their deficiencies so as to achieve common sustainable development. Moreover, on such global issues as the environment, population, poverty and debt the developed countries should not shirk their responsibility and obligation; rather, they should take the lead in providing technological and financial assistance to the developing countries. We deem it necessary for the United Nations to hold a special conference at an appropriate time to discuss the globalization of the world economy, in order to promote international cooperation in this field and to achieve common prosperity. The People’s Republic of China will soon celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. For half a century, especially in the last 21 years of reform and opening-up, earth-shaking changes have taken place in China, and the Chinese people have scored tremendous achievements in socialist economic, political and cultural development as well as in diplomatic and other endeavours. Following Hong Kong’s return to the motherland the year before last, the Chinese Government will soon resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macao. At present, China enjoys political stability, sustained economic growth, national unity, social tranquillity and progress. Although difficulties and serious challenges still lie ahead, we are confident and capable of overcoming the difficulties, rising to the challenges and forging ahead with every aspect of the socialist cause of building a strong, prosperous, democratic and culturally advanced country. In the face of international vicissitudes, the Chinese Government will steadfastly take up economic development as the central task, resolutely press ahead with reform and opening up, consistently maintain social stability and unswervingly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace. We are willing to continue to develop friendly relations and cooperation on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence with all other countries in the world and to make our due contribution to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. The Chinese Government and people will, as always, resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue to advance the great cause of national reunification. It is a fact universally recognized by the international community that there is only one 18 China in the world, that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. China's territory and sovereignty are absolutely indivisible. The ultimate reunification of the motherland represents the common aspiration and firm resolve of all the Chinese people, including our compatriots on Taiwan. No force can hold us back in this great cause. The Chinese Government will continue to adhere to its established policy for settling the question of Taiwan. We are firmly opposed to any efforts to create “independence for Taiwan”, “two Chinas”, or “one China, one Taiwan”. All moves to divide the motherland are doomed to failure. China's great cause of national reunification can and will be accomplished. A few days ago a powerful earthquake shook China's province of Taiwan. This earthquake caused heavy loss of life and property damage for our compatriots in Taiwan. We are extremely concerned about this catastrophe and express our sympathy to our compatriots on the island. We also express our condolences to the families of the victims of the earthquake. People on both sides of the strait are brothers and sisters in one big family. The disaster that hit Taiwan and the pains of our compatriots on the island are shared by the entire Chinese people. We will provide every possible support and assistance to alleviate the harm caused by the earthquake. I take this opportunity to thank the President of the General Assembly and the international community as a whole for their sympathy, condolences and assistance. The twenty-first century is dawning. The future of the world is bright, and the new century is bound to be a more splendid one than this. The Chinese people stand ready to work with the people of other countries for the establishment of a just and rational new international order, for peace and development in the new century, and for the overall progress of human society.