Editorial by People’s Daily
Chinese President Xi Jinping called the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the UN “a victory for the Chinese people” and “a victory for people of the world,” at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the country in the UN held on Oct. 25.
He gave a high evaluation of the significance of China’s restoration of its lawful seat in the international organization, saying the past five decades since New China restored its lawful seat in the United Nations have witnessed China’s peaceful development and its commitment and dedication to the welfare of all humanity.
Xi raised five proposals for the world to follow the prevailing trend of history, which was thought-provoking and triggered wide attention from the international society.
The founding of the UN was a milestone in humanity’s pursuit of peace and development. As a founding member, China was the first to put its signature on the UN Charter. On October 25, 1971, the UN General Assembly at its 26th Session adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of the Government the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the UN.
Ever since, the Chinese people have had their representatives in the UN, and the institution has grown in scope, representation, and authority. The commitment of the international community to the one-China principle has been significantly consolidated and enhanced, and the force for world peace and development has become stronger than ever before.
Just as President Xi stated, “the restoration of New China’s lawful seat in the UN was a momentous event for the world and the UN. It came as the result of joint efforts of all peace-loving countries that stood up for justice in the world. It marked the return of the Chinese people, or one-fourth of the world’s population, back to the UN stage. The importance was significant and far-reaching for both China and the wider world.”
President Xi concluded the Chinese people’s great achievements and contributions over the past 50 years. He said for these 50 years, the Chinese people have demonstrated an untiring spirit and kept to the right direction of China’s development amidst changing circumstances, thus writing an epic chapter in the development of China and humanity. They have stood in solidarity and cooperation with people around the world and upheld international equity and justice, contributing significantly to world peace and development.
Building on achievements in national construction and development since the founding of New China, the Chinese have started the new historical era of reform and opening-up and successfully initiated and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics. They have continued to unleash and develop productivity and raise living standards and achieved a historic breakthrough of leaping from a country with relatively low productivity to the second-largest economy in the world. The Chinese people have attained the goal of fully building a moderately prosperous society on the vast land of China and opened up bright prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It fully indicates that China’s development itself is the most considerable contribution made by the country to the world and marks Chinese wisdom in solving the problems facing humanity.
The Chinese are peace-loving people who have unswervingly followed an independent foreign policy of peace and resolutely opposed hegemony and power politics. The Chinese People are a strong supporter of other developing countries in their just struggle to safeguard sovereignty, security, and development interests. The Chinese people are committed to achieving common development and have offered the world new opportunities through their development. It fully indicates that China has both developed itself and benefited the world. It is always a firm supporter of world peace and joint development.
The UN is a banner of multilateralism. The UN Charter has laid down the cornerstone of the modern international order and established the basic norms of contemporary international relations. China firmly maintains that there is only one system in the world, i.e., the UN-centered international system; only one order, i.e., the international order based on international law; and only one set of rules, i.e., the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
For these 50 years, China has faithfully fulfilled its responsibility and mission as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, stayed true to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and upheld the central role of the UN in international affairs.
Over the past 50 years, China’s cooperation with the UN has kept expanding and deepening. UN agencies have set up offices in China and conducted fruitful cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economic development, poverty alleviation, health care, food security, and environmental protection.
“For these 50 years, the Chinese people have upheld the authority and sanctity of the United Nations and practiced multilateralism, and China’s cooperation with the United Nations has deepened steadily,” said President Xi.
Over the past 50 years, China has held to its original aspiration for multilateralism, world peace, and common development. President Xi has made a solemn promise that standing at a new historical starting point, China would stay committed to the path of peaceful development and always be a builder of world peace; China would stay committed to the path of reform and opening-up and always be a contributor to global development; China would stay committed to the path of multilateralism and always be a defender of the international order. China is ready to strive ahead together with all the progressive forces of the world and advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom, which are the common values of humanity. China will continue to make new contributions to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, maintaining world peace, and promoting common development and human progress. It will continue to promote a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind
