Ladies and Gentlemen,

Comrades and Friends,

In this golden autumn of October, we are meeting here today to commemorate the thirty-fifth anniversary of the restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. This occasion to review the past and look ahead at the future is of both historical and current significance.

On 25 October 1971, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted Resolution 2758 at its twenty-sixth session. It decided to restore all the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations and emphasized that this was essential both for the protection of the Charter of the United Nations and for the cause that the United Nations must serve under the Charter. Having profound historical significance, this Resolution charted a new course for China-UN cooperation.

Over the past 35 years, China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has committed itself to pursuing peace and firmly upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as the authority and role of the United Nations. Acting in a responsible and constructive way, China has taken an active part in resolving regional hot-spot issues and in working for making effective response to non-traditional security threats. It has actively participated in UN peace-keeping operations, dispatching a total of over 6,000 peace-keepers. Nine of them lost their lives in peace-keeping operations. China places high priority on UN's work in the field of development and supports the United Nations in playing a leadership or important role in development, humanitarian relief, public health and other fields. China is committed to promoting common development of all countries and has honored its due obligations in good faith. China has incorporated the Millennium Development Goals into its national development strategy and endeavors to contribute to development of all countries through developing itself. China is firm in upholding the interests of developing countries and strives to enhance cooperation among them. The Group of 77 plus China has become an important model for developing countries to enhance cooperation and advance their common interests.

History of the past 35 years proves once again that China, as a responsible member of the United Nations, is an important force for maintaining global peace and promoting common development. And we are proud of this role.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Comrades and friends,

China is developing, and the world is changing. The United Nations is also at a critical historical juncture, facing both opportunities and challenges. Indeed, the United Nations now finds itself in a world that has gone through major and profound changes. However, the United Nations remains the universal and most authoritative and representative international organization, and the UN Charter remains the basic norms governing international relations in the contemporary world. To uphold multilateralism and strengthen the role of the United Nations is both the consensus of the international community and a solemn commitment made by world leaders at the 2005 UN World Summit. It is also the goal of our common endeavor.

I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate the following:

- China will continue to support the United Nations in playing a leading role in building enduring peace.

We call for developing a new global security consensus based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, making the United Nations the core of the collective security mechanism and properly responding to traditional and non-traditional security threats.

We stand for peaceful settlement of international disputes or conflicts through dialogue, consultation and negotiation. We oppose the willful exertion of pressure and resorting to threat or use of force. We hope that "to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors", a basic tenet of the UN Charter, will be truly adhered to.

We support the international efforts for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation and oppose the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We oppose terrorism and call for taking an integrated approach to address both the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism to maintain international and regional peace and stability.

We will take an even more active part in UN peace-keeping and peace-building operations to help bring hope to people of countries in conflict and enable them to enjoy the benefits of peace at an early date.

- China will continue to support the United Nations in making greater contribution to promoting common development.

We hope that the United Nations will give a higher priority to development to make it relevant to the work of the United Nations in all fields and provide sufficient institutional and resources support to development. We hope the United Nations will promote the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals across the world and contribute to turning the 21st century truly into a "century of development for all".

We call on the international community to make joint efforts to adopt fair and equitable international rules. We urge developed countries to honor their commitment to provide necessary support to developing countries. We should work to create an enabling international environment for developing countries and steer economic globalization to move in a balanced direction that yields win-win progress and general benefit.

China will contribute more to South-South cooperation. At last year's UN Summit, President Hu Jintao announced five major steps China will take to promote the development of other developing countries. We are working in earnest to fulfill our commitment. China will do as it has promised.

- China will continue to support the United Nations in playing its due role in promoting the international cause of human rights.

We support the United Nations in making human rights one of its three pillars. Human rights, security and development should reinforce and promote each other.

We will continue to promote in a comprehensive way human rights in China in accordance with the principles of China's Constitution. We will faithfully honor our obligations under international human rights conventions and conduct extensive human rights dialogue with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

We will continue to actively participate in the work of the UN Human Rights Council and work for the Council to pursue constructive cooperation instead of engaging in political confrontation.

We call for upholding the diversity of civilizations and increasing dialogue and exchange among different civilizations in the spirit of equality and open-mindedness. We should draw upon each other's strengths to achieve harmonious co-existence and common development.

- China will continue to support the United Nations in addressing the needs of developing countries, particularly those of Africa, on a priority basis.

We hope that the UN Security Council and the Peace-Building Commission will attach greater importance to the aspirations of the African people for peace, devote more energy to Africa and support the efforts of the African Union and other regional and sub-regional organizations.

We hope that the United Nations will respond more effectively to the appeal of the African people for development and work to develop a global consensus on promoting development in Africa. We hope that the United Nations will reach out to Africa with all sincerity and fulfill its moral responsibility of helping the needy and poor.

China will contribute its due share to the development of Africa. We are confident that the upcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be a success. The Summit will inject new vitality into our efforts to forge a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership, enhance their traditional friendship and usher in a splendid future of friendship and cooperation between them.

- China will continue to firmly uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity and advance the great cause of national reunification.

We are adamant in our opposition to Taiwan's participation in the United Nations or any other inter-governmental organization whose membership is open only to sovereign states. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory. This is a fundamental principle recognized and observed by the United Nations and most countries. This is demonstrated in the fact that the UN General Assembly has for 14 times refused to put the so-called Taiwan's "participation" in the UN on its agenda.

We are committed to the basic principle of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and to implementing the eight-point proposal on developing cross-Straits relations at the present stage and promoting China's peaceful reunification. But we are resolutely opposed to "Taiwan independence" and will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China.

We are convinced that the United Nations and the international community will continue to show understanding of and support for the above position of China.

China will remain committed to peaceful development. We will work with other countries to make the United Nations a champion of peace and development which leads the cause of building a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity. We are fully confident in the future of the United Nations, and we are fully confident in China's future cooperation with the United Nations!

Thank you.