Mr. Chairman,

First of all, please allow me to congratulate, on behalf of the Chinese Government, on the successful convocation of the Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting for World Conference Against Racism and on your election as Chairman of the meeting. I am convinced that your outstanding ability will guide this meeting to success.

My appreciation also goes to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for hosting this grand meeting of Asia in the beautiful city of Teheran. In the United Nations? history of human rights protection, Teheran has earned an important place. The Proclamation of Teheran adopted in 1968 was and still is an important document on the international human rights protection. Today, it is of great significance that we meet here again to discuss the strategies against racism in the new century.

Mr. Chairman,

Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of racist acts are all gross violations of human rights. Colonialism and racism represented a dark page in the annals of human history. Today when the world has entered the 21st century, peace, tranquility and happiness are the aspirations of mankind. However, the world is not a tranquil place. Regional conflicts triggered by territorial, religious and other disputes keep cropping up. The dregs of racism have surfaced again and it even developed anew in some regions and countries. To oppose racism, both in old and new forms, has become an important task for us in promoting and protecting human rights. The World Conference Against Racism to be held according to the decision in Resolution 52/111 of the UN General Assembly will be a historic event of major influence in the international human rights field in the new century. This Regional Preparatory Meeting of Asia is a significant part of the Conference and will demonstrate our Asian countries? determination and confidence in the fight against racism.

The Chinese Government maintains that the World Conference and the Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting should make efforts in the following areas:

First, the positive results achieved by the international community in opposing racism should be fully affirmed, and continued efforts should be made to press ahead with the cause against racism. Since the founding of the United Nations, promoting and protecting human rights and the fundamental freedoms have become one of the objectives for the endeavor of the international community. The United Nations has declared three consecutive ?Decades to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination? and achieved a lot of successes. The notorious social system of racial segregation has been abolished and equality and harmony among the races have become the common demand of the international community and the people of all countries.

However, it should also be noted that the outdated and pernicious influences of racism and racial discrimination have not been eliminated completely, and sometimes they even get a good deal of support. In recent years, racism of new forms has developed. In some Western developed countries, there have appeared phenomena like xenophobia, intolerance, discrimination against immigrant workers, neo-fascism and neo-Nazism. These acts have seriously violated the basic human rights and infringed upon the equality and dignity of humanity, thus posing a stern challenge to the cause of international human rights protection.

Looking back at the last century, we see that great changes have taken place on earth. Looking forward to the future, there is still a long way to go. We hope that the World Conference Against Racism can, on the basis of summing up historical experience, draw on collective wisdom and absorb useful ideas, propose goals for combating and finally rooting out racism in the new century and formulate effective measures, so as to promote the international human rights cause through international cooperation.

Secondly, priorities should be given and solutions found to urgent issues facing the international community, especially the developing countries. Slave trade, genocide and apartheid that existed in history were monstrous crimes committed by racists against the human society. We associate ourselves with the consensus reached by Latin American and African countries in their Regional Preparatory Meetings, which calls for strengthened international cooperation to remove the influences of colonialism and give compensation to the victims of the crimes perpetrated by colonialism and racism.

Colonialism and racism in the past brought tremendous adverse effects on the development of the countries and people in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Today, the rapid development of economic globalization is having an enormous impact on the vast number of developing countries and has triggered political and social turmoil in some countries. Many developing countries face severe challenges in their state sovereignty and economic security and are being marginalized. The World Conference Against Racism should be committed to the early establishment of a new international political and economic order which is just and reasonable, and help the developing countries get out of difficulty as soon as possible so that all members of the international community, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, can coexist as equals and respect one another and that all can benefit from the process of globalization, thus eventually promoting the common development and prosperity of all humanity.

Thirdly, Asian countries should strengthen their solidarity to contribute to the World Conference Against Racism. Asia is one of the birthplaces of human history and civilization and has made important and indelible contributions to the development and progress of human society. Asia is vast in size, huge in population and rich in resources. It has diversified cultures. It has tremendous potentials for cooperation and development. The fine cultural tradition of mutual tolerance, mutual respect and valuing social and collective rights and interests has laid a favorable foundation for the amicable coexistence and common development of Asian countries. In the past, Asia suffered deeply from the scourge of colonialism, with territories invaded and occupied, people enslaved, resources plundered and the social and economic development impaired. Thanks to their common efforts, the Asian countries have won their independence and liberation and finally stood up on the world arena.

The sovereignty and independence of the Asian countries today are hard won. In the process of working together to defend the sovereignty of the Asian countries, promote national and regional economic development and support the international community?s fight against racism and racial segregation, we should strengthen solidarity rather than creating division, and cooperate closely rather than enlarging differences. We are confident that, with the joint efforts of Asian countries, the declaration and program of action to be adopted at the current meeting will have significant influence on the fight of the international community against racism.

Mr. Chairman,

In the past, China shared a similar lot with most developing countries in Asia, endured untold suffering by colonialism. More than half a century ago, the Chinese people overthrew imperialism, colonialism and feudalism and won a new lease of life for the country and the nation, thus embarking on the road to all-round development. At present, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups are living in harmony and have achieved remarkable successes in the economic and social development. They never enjoyed such a high level of human rights in history as they do now.

China was among the first countries to sign the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and has supported and participated in the UN's cause of ?Three Decades to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination? for three decades. The Chinese Government has taken an active part in the preparatory work for the World Conference Against Racism and offered donations to the conference. In this regard, activities will be organized at the national level to promote the Conference. The Chinese Government is ready to work with other countries to make the conference a complete success.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.