STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN
OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
AT THE MILLENIUM SUMMIT
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
6 September 2000
Mr. President,
At the turn of the century and the millennium, leaders of all countries are meeting here at the Headquarters of the
United Nations to discuss major issues that bear on the future development of mankind so as to advance the lofty cause
of world peace and development. At this moment, all people who love peace and long for happiness are watching us with
great interest.
In the outgoing milleniurn and the 20th century, mankind has undergone calamities and holocausts and carried out great
struggles and creative undertakings, thus scoring splendid material and spiritual accomplishments.
In the 21st century and the coming millennium, mankind will inevitably come across unexpected tests and challenges and
will surely realize new and earthshaking historical changes and a great leap forward. Bright will be the prospects for a
lasting peace and common prosperity that the people of all countries look forward to.
The nearly 50-year old Cold War is over. The international situation is on the whole moving towards relaxation. There
are rapidly growing trends towards world multi-polarization and economic globalization. The modem science and technology
driven by IT and life science are advancing by leaps and bounds. All this offers mankind a rare opportunity for
development. The pursuit of peace and development represents both the common aspirations of the people throughout the
world and the theme of our times. But the unfair and irrational old international political and economic order has yet
to be replaced. There is still a long way to go before the two strategic issues of peace and development are solved and
a fair and equitable new international political and economic order is established.
At present, the people in many countries are still suffering from the scourge of wars and turmoil. Hegemonism and power
politics still exist. Local conflicts caused by ethnic, religious, territorial or resources factors keep cropping up.
Separatist, terrorist and extremist forces of various kinds are causing incessant damages to the international
community. Environment, drugs, refugees and other global issues are more acutely felt. Our planet is still far from
stable and tranquil.
Both history and the realities tell us:
Respect for each other's independence and sovereignty is vital to the maintenance of world peace. Countries would not be
able to live in amity unless they follow the five principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial
integrity, mutual nonaggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and
peaceful coexistence and strictly comply with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
To build common security is the prerequisite to the prevention of conflicts and wars. The Cold War mentality must be
abandoned once and for all, and a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation
should be established. All international disputes and regional conflicts should be resolved through peaceful means.
Effective disarmament and arms control should be realized according to the principle of fair, reasonable, comprehensive
and balanced reduction. All countries should take part in the discussion and settlement of the question of disarmament
as it bears on the international security.
To promote a multi-polar international configuration is required by the progress of our times, conforms to the interests
of the people of all countries and also contributes to world peace and security. Such a multi-polar configuration
differs from the old one in which big powers contended for hegemony and carved up spheres of influence as seen in
history. All countries should be independent. Mutual cooperation and partnership of various forms between countries
should not be targeted at any third party. The big countries have an important responsibility for the maintenance of
world and regional peace. The big countries should respect the small ones, the strong should support the weak, and the
rich help the poor.
The maintenance of world peace is the necessary precondition for the promotion of common development, which in turn
serves as an important guarantee for the maintenance of world peace. It has become a pressing global issue to support
and promote the development of the developing countries and to reduce and eradicate poverty.
Many developing countries are still confronted with great difficulties in their economic development and that the gap
between the North and the South and the gulf between the rich and the poor are widening. On the one hand, it is the
continued accumulation of wealth by developed countries in the North, and on the other, the aggravating poverty of
developing countries in the South. The rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer. Not all countries have become
beneficiaries of the development of modem science and technology and economic globalization. Imbalance in world
development is becoming more acute. Over 1.3 billion people in the world live under the absolute poverty line, with less
than one U.S. dollar of living expenses per capita per day. The developed countries possess 86 per cent of the world's
GDP and occupy 82 per cent of the world's export markets, while the developing countries which account for the
overwhelming majority of the world population possess only 14 and 18 per cent respectively.
If there is no fundamental change in such a situation, it would be difficult to avoid turbulence in the international
community, promote common development for all countries and achieve worldwide prosperity.
The right of the people of all countries to choose their social system and development path independently must be fully
respected. North-South dialogue should be enhanced on the basis of equality and South-South cooperation conducted
extensively. Only by increasing South-South cooperation can the third world countries reduce risks that economic
globalization might bring and attain their own prosperity and progress.
The developing countries must enhance their capacity to develop their economy, science and technology. After all, their
development will depend on continuously strengthening their capacity of selfdevelopment. The international community
should attach great importance to the effort of the developing countries to foster and strengthen their capacity of
selfdevelopment and help them in this regard. One should not just try to get resources, access to market and profits
from developing countries. The rapidly advancing science and technology have become an important new driving force for
the creation of wealth. The widening "digital divide" indicates that there exists a huge gap between the developed and
the developing countries in terms of the level of science and technology. This will inevitably further widen the gap in
wealth between the North and the South. Advanced science and technology which embody man's wisdom and creative spirit
should be used and 'applied globally to promote peace and development in the interests of all peoples.
A good external environment must be created for the development of the vast number of developing countries. All
countries should remove trade protectionism of all forms, and mutually open market. Effective measures should be taken
to reduce or exempt the debts of developing countries and to increase official aid to them without any conditions
attached. All international political, economic and trade organizations should earnestly pay heed to the calls of the
developing countries, and defend their rights and interests. All countries should conduct mutual exchanges and
cooperation in the economic, trade and technological fields in compliance with the principle of equality and mutual
benefit so as to share the fruits of economic globalization and scientific and technological progress.
The principle of democracy must be advocated and implemented in handling world affairs, whether in maintaining world
peace or promoting common development.
All countries, big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, are equal members of the international community and have the
right to take part in and handle world affairs. Matters that fall within the scope of sovereignty of a country should be
managed only by the government and people of that country, and the world affairs should be handled by the governments
and people of all countries through consultation. This is the principle of democracy in handling world affairs. Today,
the world's destiny should be in the hands of the people of all countries.
The world is diverse and colorful. Just as there should not be only one color in the universe, so there should not be
only one civilization, one social system, one development model or one set of values in the world. Each and every
country and nation has made its own contribution to the development of human civilization. It is essential to fully
respect the diversity of different nations, religions and civilizations, whose coexistence is the very source of
vigorous development in the world. We should promote the exchanges between different civilizations in a spirit of
equality and democracy and encourage them to learn from one another in order to attain common progress.
Dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights must be conducted on the basis of respect for state sovereignty.
This is the fundamental and most effective way to protect and promote human rights. So long as there are boundaries
between states, and people live in their respective countries, to maintain national independence and safeguard
sovereignty will be the supreme interests of each government and people. Without sovereignty, there will be no human
rights to speak of.
Fifty-five years ago, the United Nations came into being at the historic moment of the great victory in the world's
anti-fascist war. Over half a century and more, with the support of its member states, the UN has done much useful work
to ease regional conflicts, eliminate old colonialism and promote world peace, cooperation and development. As the most
authoritative international organization of sovereign states with the broadest representation in the world, the UN plays
an irreplaceable role in the maintenance of world peace, promotion of common development, and establishment of a fair
and reasonable new international political and economic order. In the new century, the UN shoulders even -heavier tasks.
Its positive role must be strengthened and not weakened and its authority defended and not jeopardized.
We must firmly defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, continue to give play to the positive role of the
UN and its Security Council in handling international affairs and safeguarding world peace, and ensure all the member
states their right to participate in world affairs on an equal footing. In handling international affairs, no country or
group of countries should take an attitude of "using the United Nations when it is needed and abandon it when it is
not."
The UN should be a place where all its member states discuss and address international affairs through democratic means.
The UN and its Security Council should go along with the trend of history and carry out reforms as necessary and
appropriate under the principle of equitable geographical distribution, so as to give expression to the will of all the
member states, developing countries in particular.
Chinese civilization is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world. It has added to the splendor of human
civilization. The founding of the People's Republic of China and the great achievements it has scored in the course of
nation-building constitute an enormous contribution to world peace and development. The Chinese people will unswervingly
march along the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and accomplish the grand cause of national
reunification in accordance with the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "One country, two systems". A modem
socialist China will stand in the East of the world. China's development is a contribution to world peace and
development. The Chinese people love peace and stand firm in maintaining world peace and stability. China will never
seek hegemony. This is a solemn commitment undertaken by the Chinese people to the world.
China has consistently pursued an independent foreign.policy of peace and persisted in establishing and developing
friendly relations and cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. As a
permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always complied with the purposes and principles of the UN
Charter and supported the United Nations in playing its important and irreplaceable role in safeguarding world peace and
international security and tackling global issues of all kinds. China will as always, fulfill its duties and
obligations.
I
All the UN member states and their statesmen invariably shoulder an important historic mission entrusted by our times,
that is to achieve a lasting world peace and promote the common development and prosperity of all countries.
People of all countries are full of wisdom. Today, in macrocosm of science, mankind has reached somewhere in the
universe which is 18 billion light-year away from the earth, and in microcosm, mankind has initially disclosed the
secret of genes. Although the world is still far from perfect, people of different countries will surely be able to go
on acquiring all kinds of knowledge and summing up their experience, and become even wiser and more rational in handling
the relations between man and nature, man and society and those between ethnic groups and between countries. With this
understanding, I am fully optimistic about the prospect of the world development in the new century and new millennium.
I am convinced that in spite of difficulties and twists and turns that might occur in the course of evolution of the
world situation and the development of the human society, the world of ours will eventually attain a civilization of a
higher level and make progress in all areas.
To conclude I would like to make an appeal to all countries and people who love peace and aspire for progress: Let us
work hand in hand and move the wheel of history toward a bright future
Thank you.
ENDS