CHINA
MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Statement by
H.E. Tang Jiaxuan, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of The People's Republic of China
And Head of the Chinese Delegation,
At the
General Debate of the 57th Session of The United Nations General Assembly
New York, 13 September 2002
Mr. President,
First of all, please allow me to offer my warmest congratulations on your assumption
of the Presidency of current Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
I am confident that with the support of the broad members of this great organization,
you will fulfill your mandate with flying colors. At the same time, I wish to
express my gratitude to Mr. Han Seung-soo for the contributions he made as the
President of the last session of the UN General Assembly.
Also, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the Swiss Confederation
on its accession to the United Nations and welcome the Democratic Republic of
East Timor who will soon become a UN member.
Mr. President,
The opening of this UNGA Session coincides with the first anniversary of the
September 11th incident. Thanks to the vigorous cooperation among the people
of various countries over the past year, the international campaign against
terrorism has made positive headway; dealing heavy blows to the forces of terror
around the world. We have come to the moment when we should not only ponder
on ways to eradicate the global scourge of terrorism, but take a broader view
of the security issue facing, mankind and seek more effective ways to achieve
lasting peace and universal security in the world.
At present, the international security situation is undergoing profound changes.
Security has begun to take on wider connotations. While military antagonism
and conflicts triggered by territorial, resources, ethnic and other disputes
remain unremoved, a variety of non-traditional security concerns represented
by terrorism have become increasingly prominent. Security is no longer a pure
military concern. It has permeated politics, economy, finance, science, technology,
culture and many more areas.
Security is no longer a zero-sum game. Its mutuality is obviously on the increase
as countries have come to share more in their security interests and feel a
greater sense of interdependence.
There needs to be an overhaul in our tools to achieve security. Military means
alone has proved inadequate in meeting massive and complicated security challenges.
Indiscriminate use of force can only lead to greater trouble in our world.
The new situation calls for new ideas in safeguarding security. We in China
stand for a new security concept which features mutual trust, mutual benefit,
equality and cooperation.
By mutual trust, we mean that countries should rise above their differing ideologies
and social systems, abandon the Cold-War mentality and power politics mindset,
and refrain from misgivings and hostility against each other. Instead, they
should go in for frequent dialogues and briefings on their security and defense
policies or the major actions they are about to take.
By mutual benefit, we mean that a country, in keeping with the objective requirements
of the development of globalization, should respect the security interests of
others while pursuing the interests of its own, help create. Conditions for
the better security of others while making itself more secure, thus achieving
universal security.
By equality, we mean that every country, big or small, strong or weak, is a
member of the international community. All countries should respect each other,
treat each other as equals and refrain from interfering in each other's internal
affairs, so that international relations will become more democratized.
By cooperation, we mean that countries should resolve their disputes through
peaceful negotiations, carry out extensive and deep-going cooperation on their
shared security concerns and help eliminate hidden dangers and prevent wars
and conflicts from happening.
All in all, our new security concept is aimed at increasing mutual trust through
dialogue and promoting common security through cooperation.
It is in the spirit of this new security concept that we in China have been
working hard to promote the mechanisms for regional security dialogue and cooperation,
cherishing and actively participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
and the ASEAN Regional Forum and endeavoring, together with other countries
in the region, for the establishment of an Asia-Pacific security framework geared
to dialogue, rather than confrontation.
China is actively committed to international arms control, disarmament and
non-proliferation process and supports the consolidation and strengthening of
international non-proliferation regimes on the basis of universal participation
and non-discrimination. Not long ago, the Chinese Government promulgated the
Regulations on Export Controls of Missiles and Related Items and Technologies
and its Control List, which marked a fresh step forward in bringing about rule
of law in our export control work. The Chinese Government will complete further
improvement on its export management mechanisms for biological and chemical
dual-use items in the near future. China supports the international community
in taking effective measures to prevent the dangerous trend of weaponization
in outer space.
Our new security concept is both workable and effective. We call upon the international
community to reach a broad consensus thereon and jointly tackle the major security
concerns of the day through vigorous dialogue and cooperation.
We should press ahead with international cooperation against terrorism and
check the threat of international terrorism once and for all.
Counter-terrorism should be pursued on the basis of international law and norms
governing international relations, allowing the UN and its Security Council
to play a leading role. It should follow a comprehensive approach with focus
on eliminating the root causes of terrorism. Efforts should be made to prevent
the arbitrary enlargement of the scope of counter-terrorism campaign, but proven
terrorist forces, including the East Turkestan terrorist forces, which have
been trained, armed and bankrolled by the Taliban and AI Qaeda, must be resolutely
stamped out, denying them and become an effective channel for mutually complementary
cooperation and common development by countries against the backdrop of globalization.
We feel especially happy about the launching of the African Union, convinced
that the people of Africa will take fresh historical strides on the road to
development.
At present factors making for greater development are all the more active.
Thanks to rapidly advancing science and technology, new and more powerful driving
force has been made available for human progress. With the surging economic
globalization, countries and regions are all faced with a choice: forging ahead
or being driven back. Their desire to accelerate development through greater
participation in international competition has never been stronger.
Our tasks of development have become more pressing. The situation where greater
world wealth is accompanied by a widening wealth gap must be reversed. The state
of higher financial risks and frequent economic and social volatility must be
redressed. The sharpening clashes between economic developments on the one hand
and resources and environment on the other must be allayed. The international
order and the rules of the game, which cannot fairly reflect the needs of developing
countries, must be changed. The goal of common development for the entire human
community remains largely elusive.
The new situation calls for new lines of thinking.Our propositions are as follows:
Establishing a global partnership geared to development. Governments, international organizations, transnational corporations, and non-governmental groups are all parties to the cause of development and should work together for the implementation of the UN's millennium development goals. Between the South and the North, the aid recipient countries and international aid institutions, there should be a partnership characterized by mutual benefit, equality and cooperation. Assisting the developing countries today is to invest in the common destiny of all human beings. With the global economic slow-down, the developing countries are sustaining greater difficulties. The developed countries ought to lend them a helping hand in such areas as finance, trade, technology transfer and development aid and make good on their debt relief promises without delay. The new round of multilateral trade talks should be seized as an important opportunity for forging such a new partnership.
Promoting a balanced and steady development of economic globalization. It would not be in the interest of a sound world economy if the laws of the marketplace were given a free rein to dominate globalization. The international community needs to reform the current rules in the world economy, strengthen guidance and management of the globalization process, take account of fairness and reduce risks while seeking efficiency, and steer globalization in an "all-win" direction of coexistence.
Strengthening developing countries' capacity for self-development. The developing countries should opt for a development path suited to their own national conditions. Always giving top priority to development, they can carry out reforms and opening-up while preserving stability and use every possible international condition in their favor to catch up with the tide of global economic development. The international community should respect the right of the developing countries to independently choose a development path and provide them with assistance in areas such as institution building, personnel training and competitiveness development.
Persisting in the course of sustainable development. Economic development must be able to serve sustainable exploitation of resources and a virtuous cycle of the ecosystem. We should promote a balanced development of the economy, population, resources and environment with a view to an organic integration of the economic returns, social well-being and environmental benefits. We should step up international cooperation, combine efforts to address environmental problems of individual countries with those to tackle global concerns, and promote the cause of sustainable development of mankind with our concerted endeavor.
Enhancing an all-round development of the people. Both the starting point and the any opportunity to wreak havoc of society again.
We should step up dialogue and reconciliation and facilitate settlement of
regional hotspots.
We are deeply concerned about rising violence in Israel-Palestine conflict.
China supports the Palestinian people in their just cause to regain legitimate
national rights and establish their own state. We support the relevant UN Security
Council resolutions and the principle of land for peace. We are opposed to violence
targeted at innocent civilians and reject trading violence with violence. Both
the Palestinian and the Israeli people have the right to live in peace, and
genuine security can only be achieved through peaceful coexistence.
We stand for a political settlement of the Iraqi issue. The United Nations
should play an important role in this regard. Iraq should implement the relevant
Security Council resolutions in a faithful and strict manner.
We hope that India and Pakistan will soon resume dialogue on the basis of equality
and mutual respect and resolve all their differences, including that over Kashmir,
through peaceful means.
We rejoice at the positive developments in Afghanistan over the past year or
so. China is ready to join the international community in working constructively
for lasting peace in Afghanistan and its post-war rehabilitation. We support
the UN in playing its important role in this regard.
We should strengthen exchanges and dialogues among different civilizations
and keep them from coming into conflict or confrontation.
Our world is home to rich, colorful and diverse civilizations, which differ
from one another. And such diversity is a basic characteristic of humanity.
To ignore this objective fact, or to stir up hatred and confrontation among
different civilizations is inconsistent with the requirements of our times for
peace and development. Trying to impose on the world only one idea and one culture
while denying the unique traditions and independent choices of various countries
runs counter to the tide of democratization of international relations.
Different civilizations do not cause conflicts in the world, rather, they provide
a starting point for a more integrated global village. Mankind has come a long
way in getting to know itself and the planet it inhabits. We have every reason
to treat the achievements of the various civilizations kindly with an open mind
and a broad vision, and promote exchanges among them on the basis of respect
for diversity. Let exclusion be replaced by tolerance, confrontation by dialogue,
conflict by integration. Every one is encouraged to draw upon the strength of
others with a view to realizing common development. This, in our view, is the
only way to a peaceful and tranquil world, a way that gives all human civilizations
a more rewarding future.
Mr. President,
Peace and development go hand in hand. Lasting peace and universal security
can only be achieved on the basis of common prosperity in the entire international
community. Many a problem we face today may have its roots found in the area
of development. In coping with these challenges, it is all the more important
to look to development for answers.
In the past year, the UN has held a series of important meetings on development,
which reviewed the implementation of the various UN initiatives for development
since the 1990s and put forward programs of action for the future. In particular,
the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which ended earlier this month,
laid down a new roadmap for the international community's endeavor at sustainable
development. What is needed right now is to translate the programs and commitments
into reality.
In the past year, regional economic cooperation has continued to show a sound
momentum ultimate goal of human progress lie in the all-round development of
the people. Human resource is the primary resource in advancing science and
technology and in realizing economic and social development. In formulating
development strategies, countries should make the people their top priority
and the main beneficiary, bearing in mind the goals of comprehensive enhancement
of people's quality and constant improvement of their material and cultural
life.
The United Nations plays an irreplaceable role in safeguarding world peace,
ensuring universal security and promoting common development. The purposes and
principles of the UN Charter has a strong and abiding staying power. We should
give full play to the role of this world body; promote a democratized pattern
of international relation wand spare no effort in the quest for a bright future
of mankind.
Mr. President,
The Communist Party of China (CPC) will soon hold its 16`x' National Congress,
the very first in the new century. Standing in the forefront of the historical
tide and displaying a spirit of progressing with the times, this Party Congress
will draw out a new blueprint for accelerating socialist modernization in China.
Our guiding thought is to consistently represent the development requirements
of China's advanced productive forces, represent the orientation of China's
advanced culture, and represent the fundamental interests of the overwhelming
majority of the Chinese people.
Our historical mission is to accelerate the modernization drive, complete the
reunification of the motherland, to maintain world peace and promote common
development.
The first 10 to 20 years of this century present China an important strategic
window of opportunity for its development. While taking development as our No.
1 priority, we must grasp the opportunities, deepen reform, open the country
still wider to the outside world, promote development and maintain stability.
We will put forth new ideas for development, make fresh breakthroughs in our
reform and bring about a new situation in our openness to the outside.
We will press ahead with our market-oriented reforms, readjust and improve
the structure of the ownership system, and further emancipate and develop the
productive forces.
We will focus on higher quality of economic growth through science and technology
upgrading and improved management, stress the implementation of the strategy
of sustainable development, and attach importance to a balanced approach to
development among different regions and between urban and rural areas, with
a view to promoting the all-round progress of society.
We will take our WTO membership as a fresh start, take part in international
economic and technical cooperation and competition in a more sophisticated fashion
in more areas, and expand the scope of our economic development by comprehensively
raising the level of our openness to the outside.
We will develop a socialist material civilization, cultivate a socialist political
civilization and carry forward a socialist spiritual civilization.
We will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and actively
develop friendly relations and cooperation with all countries in the world on
the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.We will dedicate ourselves
to lasting world peace and common development of all countries and facilitate
international dialogue and cooperation, thus contributing constructively to
a fairer and more equitable international order.
Mr. President,
There is but one China in the world. Both the mainland and Taiwan belong to
that one China and China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brooks no division.
Achieving national reunification is our unswerving stance and a goal of our
unrelenting efforts.
In January 1995, President Jiang Zemin made an eight-point proposal on how
to develop cross-Straits relations and promote a peaceful reunification of the
motherland for the current stage. Since then, cross-Straits trade and economic
ties have grown rapidly with personnel exchanges increasing with each passing
day. The people on both sides of the Straits, the overseas Chinese communities
and all those around the world who wish the Chinese people well are reassured
by the achievements of our long-standing efforts and encouraged by the prospects
of China's peaceful reunification.
However, the Taiwan authorities have gone out of their way to block the development
of cross-Straits relations as the forces for "Taiwan independence"
lurched further down the separatist road. A few weeks ago, the leader of the
Taiwan authorities flagrantly described the state of cross-Straits relations
as "one country on each side", which revealed his true colors as someone
who obstinately clings to "Taiwan independence". This is an open provocation
not only against the entire Chinese people, our Taiwan compatriots included,
but also against the one China principle universally recognized by the international
community.
The mainstream public opinion in Taiwan features peace, development, tranquility
and better and closer ties with the mainland. The leader of the Taiwan authorities,
however, has turned his back on the public opinion, and by preaching "Taiwan
independence" and imposing the design of the handful of separatist diehards
on the Taiwan people, he will lead Taiwan to disaster. This represents the biggest
threat to the security and welfare of the people on both sides of the Taiwan
Straits, and also a disruptive factor to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific
region.
Adhering to the basic policy of "peaceful reunification and one country,
two systems", the Chinese Government has worked hard to promote cross-Straits
trade, economic cooperation, and personnel exchanges. We are firm in our opposition
to all forms of "Taiwan independence" activities, and will
tolerate no one to separate Taiwan from the rest of China in any fashion. All
acts of "Taiwan independence" are doomed to failure and our
grand cause of national reunification will triumph.
Thank you
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