China

I wish to congratulate Mr. Opertti on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its current session. I believe that his wisdom and experience will enable him to accomplish his important mission with distinction. I would also like to express my appreciation for the contribution made by Mr. Udovenko as President of the General Assembly during the previous session. At present, the international situation is undergoing profound changes. The accelerated trend towards multipolarity has injected new vitality into international relations. Economic globalization is developing very quickly, and countries are becoming increasingly interdependent. The development of multipolarity and globalization has provided a stimulus to the readjustment of international relations. Bilateral partnerships, mainly characterized by non- confrontation, non-alignment and non-targeting against third countries, have been established one after another. Various regional and intercontinental organizations of cooperation have become more active than ever before. Such endeavours to seek the establishment of stable, pragmatic and balanced international relations contribute to peace and development as well as to the establishment of a fair and equitable new international political and economic order. 10 However, we cannot lose sight of the many uncertainties still existing in the world. The nuclear arms race is a product of the cold war. In the post-cold-war period of today, the people of all countries call fervently for the prevention of nuclear proliferation and endeavours for nuclear disarmament. It is to be regretted that last May India conducted nuclear tests, going against the tide of the times, thus adversely affecting peace and stability in South Asia. Soon afterwards, Pakistan, too, conducted nuclear tests. Their nuclear tests not only led to an escalation of the tension between the two countries, but also dealt a heavy blow to international nuclear disarmament and the mechanism for the prevention of nuclear proliferation. This has aroused the great concern of the international community. We hope that India and Pakistan will fully implement the Joint Communiqué of the five permanent members of the Security Council, as well as the provisions of Security Council resolution 1172 (1998), give up their plans to develop nuclear weapons and immediately and unconditionally accede to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We appeal to India and Pakistan to resolve the dispute over the issue of Kashmir through peaceful means. In our view, following the nuclear tests in South Asia, the international community faces the pressing task of consolidating and strengthening the international non- proliferation mechanism to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons and enhance the universality and authority of the NPT. China has all along stood for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. Back in 1994, the Chinese Government proposed to the General Assembly that a treaty on the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons should be concluded through negotiations. Furthermore, the Chinese Government has on many occasions called on all the other nuclear States to undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States and nuclear-free zones, has proposed the conclusion of a convention on no first use of nuclear weapons through negotiations and has called for the early negotiation of a fissile material cut-off treaty. China was active in the negotiations on the CTBT and was among the first to sign the Treaty. Today, I would like to reiterate on behalf of the Chinese Government that China will abide by the provisions of the Treaty and has no intention of resuming nuclear testing. China will continue to pursue the policies of unconditional no first use of nuclear weapons and unconditional no use or threat of use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States and nuclear-free zones and will continue to support the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva to negotiate and conclude a non-discriminatory and verifiable fissile material cut-off treaty on the basis of the agreed mandate. China urges the countries with the largest nuclear arsenals to accelerate their nuclear disarmament process. As to the question of the ultimate complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, China, as a nuclear State, will never shirk its responsibility. The East Asian financial crisis that broke out in July 1997 has caused a sharp decline in the economies of many countries of the region. Its negative impact is still spreading. The drastic devaluation of the Japanese yen since last June has added to the difficulty of economic recovery in the region. The crisis occurred in the overall context of economic globalization, and its impact is being felt across the world. Stepping up international cooperation and putting an early end to this crisis is not only in the immediate interests of the East Asian countries, but also in the interests of the international community as a whole, and especially of the developed countries. We hope that those developed countries with important influence on the region’s economy will shoulder their responsibilities and take active, resolute and effective measures to make their due contributions to safeguarding the stability of the financial order and promoting the recovery and development of the region’s economy. Following the eruption of the East Asian financial crisis, the Chinese Government has taken a highly responsible attitude. China has rendered assistance to the countries concerned within the framework arranged by International Monetary Fund and, at the same time, through bilateral channels. Proceeding from the overall interests of maintaining the stability and development of the region, China has made the decision not to devalue the yuan renminbi, for which we have endured great pressure and paid a heavy price. Now, despite the growing pressure and risk facing us, our decision to maintain the stability of the yuan renminbi will remain unchanged. Fighting with one heart and one mind, we won the battle against the disastrous floods. We have taken a series of measures to deepen our reform and expand 11 domestic demand so as to ensure the sustained growth of our economy and achieve the objective of an 8 per cent rise in this year’s gross domestic product. We firmly believe that with the common efforts of the countries in the region and of the rest of the international community, the East Asian economy will be able to gradually get out of its predicament and return to the road of sound development. The Middle East peace process has been in a stalemate for some time, which has aroused widespread concern in the international community. We are of the view that the Arab nations and Israel should hold earnest and pragmatic negotiations so as to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, which will be not only in the fundamental interests of the Arab and Israeli peoples, but also conducive to world peace and stability. We hope that all the parties concerned in the Arab-Israeli disputes will take a flexible and pragmatic position to promote steady progress in the peace negotiations under the principle of land for peace and on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions and the agreements already reached. The Chinese Government will, as always, support the Middle East peace process and the efforts made by the United Nations and the relevant parties to this end. We are following the developments in the Kosovo region of Yugoslavia with concern. It is our hope that the parties involved will solve the problem through political dialogue. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia should be respected. Peace and stability in the Balkans have been hard won and should be cherished all the more by the relevant parties and by the international community. The border conflicts between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are another source of concern for us. It is hoped that they will be appropriately resolved by the parties involved through peaceful means. The twenty-first century is greeting us. On the threshold of the new century, the United Nations bears heavy responsibilities with regard to maintaining world peace, promoting human progress and establishing a just and rational new international political and economic order. It has an irreplaceable role to play. Above all, after the end of the cold war, the United Nations, with fewer constraints and more vitality, is confronted with unprecedented opportunities. In this context, the United Nations should and can use its own advantages to play a unique and constructive role in building a peaceful, secure and stable world, in establishing a new type of international relationship based on friendship and cooperation and in taking up the common challenges facing mankind. China has consistently held that it is necessary to carry out appropriate reform in the United Nations so that the Organization can better keep abreast of the changing situation and serve its numerous Member States. We have taken note of the initial progress of United Nations reform in a number of fields promoted by all Member States. Some reform measures and recommendations proposed by the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, have been approved by the General Assembly and are now being put into practice. Intense discussions on reform of the Security Council are also in orderly progress. At present, there are still differences among Member States on quite a few issues involved in the reform of the Security Council. We hope that all parties will adopt a constructive approach and play an active part in the relevant consultations with a view to reaching a proper settlement of relevant issues. Here, I wish to reiterate the basic position of the Chinese Government on these issues. First, the reform of the Security Council bears on the interests of all countries and so requires a democratic style of work and extensive and full consultations. All Member States should have an equal right to speak on the question of the reform, and their reasonable proposals should be fully reflected. Secondly, the Security Council is not a club of rich countries. The purpose of its reform is not just to meet the concerns of a few big countries. Rather, more attention should be given to the interests and aspirations of the vast number of developing countries. Representation should be balanced between the developed and the developing countries. Thirdly, the reform measures are of major significance, as they bear on enhancing the role of the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security. They should be worked out on the basis of the realities and in the light of history. It is a matter of course that the objective of the reform of the Security Council is to solve problems rather than to create new sources of discord. In order to ensure that the reformed Security Council gains extensive support from Member States, it is essential to adhere to the principle of consensus. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the past 50 years, the Declaration has vigorously promoted the advancement and development of the cause 12 of human rights in the world. Vast numbers of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America freed themselves from colonial rule. The South African people rooted out the dark system of apartheid, won basic political rights and became an equal member of the international community. The United Nations, for its part, adopted a series of international instruments on human rights such as the Declaration on the Right to Development, further enriching the content of human rights. The right to development has been universally recognized in the international community as an inseparable part of basic human rights. In the meantime, earth-shaking changes have taken place in China. Especially in the past two decades, since the introduction of reform and opening up, China has witnessed an ever-improved practice of democracy, an ever-improved legal system and ever-enhanced legal protection of the rights of its people. It is perfectly obvious that the Chinese people now enjoy a higher degree of freedom and equality than ever before and a much fuller and more settled life than in the past. The Chinese Government will continue to make unremitting efforts to advance democracy and to strengthen the legal system, while developing the economy so as to better ensure that its people enjoy human rights to the full. The Chinese Government is active in supporting and participating in the activities of the United Nations in the field of human rights. China has all along stood for international cooperation in the field of human rights on the basis of equality and mutual respect, so as to enhance understanding, narrow differences, expand common ground and strengthen cooperation through dialogue. The Chinese Government is ready to engage in dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, on the basis of equality and mutual respect, with human rights organizations at the national and international levels. Last October, the Chinese Government signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. As to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, I earnestly declare here that the Chinese Government has decided to sign it early next month. This once again testifies to the resolve of the Chinese Government with respect to promoting and protecting human rights. China is ready to continue to work with other countries to maintain and increase the current positive momentum of dialogue and cooperation so as to promote the furtherance of the world cause of human rights. This year is the twentieth anniversary of the introduction of the policy of reform and opening up in China. In these two decades, China has scored tremendous achievements in its reform, opening up and modernization drive. Particularly in recent years, our national economy has gained a favourable momentum of high growth and low inflation, thanks to deepened reforms and strengthened macroeconomic regulation. Last September, the Communist Party of China, at its fifteenth National Congress, formulated a blueprint for China’s cross-century development based on the new developments both on the domestic and international scene. In March this year, our new State institutions and new Government were formed through elections at the first session of the ninth National People’s Congress of China. We will build energetically on our political and economic restructuring and carry forward the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics into the twenty-first century in a comprehensive way. China’s modernization drive requires a stable international environment of peace. China will continue to pursue its independent foreign policy of peace. This policy is sustained by three pillars: to persist in independence and maintain the initiative, to safeguard world peace, and to seek common development. To persist in independence and maintain the initiative, we always put our State sovereignty and national security first and never develop relations with other countries at the expense of our own sovereignty. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s sacred territory. The successful return of Hong Kong and the upcoming return of Macao will undoubtedly provide useful inspiration and create favourable conditions for the settlement of the Taiwan question. We will, as always, adhere to the basic policy of peaceful reunification and one country/two systems; adhere to President Jiang Zemin’s eight-point proposal on developing cross-Strait relations and promoting the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland; expand cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation in various fields; and resolutely oppose the creation of the “independence of Taiwan”, “two Chinas” and “one China/one, Taiwan” and Taiwan’s attempt to re-enter the United Nations. We respect the sovereignty of other countries and vigorously support the efforts of all countries in the world, and of developing countries in particular, to defend their State sovereignty, while firmly safeguarding our own. In handling international relations, we adhere to non-alignment, non-confrontation and the non-targeting of Third States. We do not go in for military blocs and the 13 arms race, nor do we engage in military expansion. China’s development will not pose a threat to any other country. The so-called “China threat” is entirely unfounded and fabricated with ulterior motives. To safeguard world peace, China is a staunch force for the maintenance of world peace and regional stability. It is our consistent view that State-to-State relations should be handled in a spirit of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, transcending differences in social systems and ideologies. Countries should safeguard their own interests and, at the same time, respect those of others and continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation by seeking the convergent points of common interests. With regard to existing differences and disputes, it is necessary to persist in dialogue, not engage in confrontation, and strive to settle them by peaceful means rather than by resorting to force or the threat of force. It is essential to completely reject the mentality of the cold war, advocate a new security concept and resolve international and regional security issues through consensus and participation on an equal footing. We in China stand for the equality of all countries, big or small, and for accelerated democratization of international relations. World affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries, and no country should impose its own will on others. To seek common development, peace is the prerequisite of development and development is the basis of peace. In today’s world, where the economy is increasingly globalized, countries must pursue an open policy in order to achieve economic growth. Opening up to the outside world is China’s long-standing basic State policy. As a huge emerging market, China will strive to keep abreast of the trend of economic globalization and be even more active in opening up to the world. It is ready to develop trade and expand scientific and technological exchanges with all countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and in the interest of common progress. It attaches importance to and actively participates in the activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (APEC) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and sets store by the establishment and development of friendly exchanges and cooperation with other global and intercontinental or regional organizations for economic cooperation. China continues to take a positive attitude towards joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). Thanks to unremitting efforts over a decade, China is already qualified for entry. Regrettably, however, the relevant negotiations have dragged on and on with no decision having been made. China is a developing country, and we can negotiate China’s entry into the WTO only on this basis, in accordance with the principle of balancing rights and obligations. It is our hope that the countries concerned will take a practical, fair and flexible attitude, give up excessive demands and work for an early conclusion of the relevant negotiations. China’s joining the WTO will benefit all its members and make the multilateral trade mechanism complete and more balanced. Before I conclude my speech, please allow me to use the forum of the United Nations to brief you on China’s flood-fighting and disaster-relief efforts. Owing to such factors as abnormal climate changes this year, catastrophic floods swept along the Yangtze, Nenjiang, Songhua and other rivers of China. The sheer size of the submerged regions, the duration of the floods and the seriousness of the disaster they caused were something rarely seen before. Giving top priority to the protection of people’s lives and their safety, the Chinese Government mobilized forces from all sectors across the country and organized millions of soldiers and civilians for an all-out battle against the floods and for disaster relief. Thus, the assaults of flood crests were repelled again and again; the safety of the main dykes, the main transport arteries and major cities along the rivers was ensured; and the loss of life and property was kept to a minimum. At present, the Chinese Government is sparing no effort to resettle the people affected by the flood and has started reconstruction projects in the disaster areas. We are taking every measure possible, with full confidence, to ensure that there will be no famine and no widespread epidemic diseases in the wake of the natural disaster and that none of the pupils or students in the flood-hit areas will drop out from school or be deprived of education. In the course of reconstruction, we will carry forward the great flood-fighting spirit in an all-round endeavour to push forward our reform and opening up and the socialist modernization drive. Since China was hit by the disastrous floods, a number of countries and international organizations and communities have sent messages to express sympathy and solicitude, and rendered support and assistance to China. I wish to take this opportunity to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Government and people, our most sincere gratitude to them. The world of today is a world of interdependence. The promotion of peace, cooperation and development has 14 become the main trend of the times. Let us join hands and work together to bring into the twenty-first century a world of peace, security and stability in the interest of development.