Call for a United World

THE General Debate is the highest platform of the UN General Assembly. During the 64th session, over 140 state leaders spoke on the theme: "Effective responses to the global crises – strengthening multilateralism and dialogue among civilizations for international peace, security and development."

    President Hu made a speech entitled "Work Concertedly Toward the Future," specifying China's views on current international situations and major global and regional issues. He stated, "Faced with unprecedented opportunities and challenges, the international community should continue to go forward hand in hand, committed to peace, development, cooperation and the principles of win-win and tolerance; it should push for the construction of a harmonious world marked by lasting peace and common prosperity, and work unremittingly for the lofty cause of peace and the development of all mankind."

Retrospective

    Since China returned to the international community, its state leaders have given six speeches at the United Nations, conveying the country's views and its standpoints on international affairs and important global and

 regional issues.

    In April 1974, then Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping led a Chinese delegation to the Sixth Special Session of the UN General Assembly and delivered a speech at the General Debate, where he elaborated on Chairman Mao Zedong's "Three Worlds" theory. Deng stated that China belonged to the Third World; it would stand firmly against any form of hegemony, and would never exercise hegemony itself. On behalf of China, Deng proposed the establishment of a new international order.

    In October 1995, President Jiang Zemin went to New York and attended the Special Commemorative Meeting of the UN General Assembly for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. He called on member countries to work together to build a new international economic relationship marked by mutual benefits and complementarity, to create a harmonious international environment that allows member countries the freedom of choice, and to pursue similarities but also tolerate differences, so that the world could tackle in concert challenges to the existence and development of humankind.

    In September 2000, Jiang Zemin spoke again at the UN Millennium Summit and pushed for a stronger role for the United Nations. He called for necessary and rational reforms of the UN and its Security Council and the establishment of a just and reasonable international political and economic order. He also advocated common development and prosperity for all the member countries during the course of economic globalization.

    In September 2005, President Hu Jintao spoke at the summit on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, stressing that the UN Security Council plays an indispensable role in resolving crucial issues concerning world peace and security.

    On September 22, 2009, when President Hu Jintao attended the opening ceremony of the UN Summit on Climate Change, he pointed out that the world's response to this was in the common interests of all countries and voiced China's commitment to tackling the issue.