China’s Position on UN Affairs

by+Ji+Mingkui

This year， Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations （UN）， during which he will clarify Chinas stance on supporting UN reform and peacekeeping operations， promoting the cause of anti-terrorism， and maintaining information network security as well as viewpoints on issues such as regional pressing issues， development， disarmament， nuclear nonproliferation， human rights， public health and security， the International Criminal Court， and UN fiscal affairs.

Backing UN Reform

China supports UN reform and suggests that priority be given to increasing representation and voices of developing countries， especially African countries， in the UN Security Council. Countries， small and medium-sized ones in particular， should be given greater opportunity to join the council on a rotating basis. China holds that UN member nations should seek a package of solutions for reform on the basis of broad and democratic consultation among member nations to accommodate interests and concerns of all parties.

The UN and its Security Council should play a lead and coordinating role in international counter-terrorism cooperation. China holds that all countries should be on high alert for new trends of international terrorism and firmly combat terrorist groups.

China supports the UN secretary-generals proposal to assess peacekeeping operations and calls for necessary reform of UN peacekeeping operations on the basis of universal consensus. China is a staunch supporter and an active participant in UN peacekeeping operations. To date， it has dispatched more than 20，000 military， police and civil officers to participate in UN peacekeeping missions. Currently， some 2，100 Chinese peacekeepers serve around the world. China has provided the greatest number of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

China suggests that all nations work together to build a multilateral， democratic and transparent international order for internet governance to realize mutual benefits and win-win cooperation. China， Russia and other countries have jointly submitted a draft of the International Code of Conduct for Information Security to the UN General Assembly for further discussion.

China has long advocated peaceful usage of outer space and opposes weaponization and arms race in space. It urges the international community to negotiate and sign an international covenant preventing an extraterrestrial arms race. In 2008， China and Russia jointly submitted a draft of the Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects to a UN-sponsored disarmament conference. In 2014， the two countries updated the draft treaty upon suggestions of all parties concerned.

Maintaining World Peace

China supports upholding the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. In his speech at the Third Nuclear Security Summit in 2014， Chinese President Xi Jinping urged that countries around the world “follow a sensible， coordinated and balanced approach to nuclear security” and “work together to build an international nuclear security system featuring fairness and winwin cooperation.” China persists in seeking the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula， stands for settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue， and advocates peace and stability in the Middle East.

The Palestinian issue remains the core of the Middle East situation. China supports Palestinian peoples efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital with full sovereignty. China also advocates the Palestinian state joining international organizations including the UN. China hopes all disputes will be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

China supports Afghanistan in building a government enjoying broad support and representing the interests of all ethnic groups in the country. It stands for Iraqs independence， sovereignty and territorial integrity. In addition， China holds that political settlement is the only solution to the Syria crisis and pledges to continue supplying humanitarian aid to help the people of Syria， including Syrian refugees abroad.

China urges warring sides in Libya， South Sudan， and Central African Republic to cease fire and solve their disputes through dialogue and negotiation. In January 2015， China sent 700 troops to South Sudan as part of the countrys first infantry battalion to participate in a UN peacekeeping mission.

China believes that political negotiation is the only solution to the Ukraine crisis. It has called for an effective international coordination mechanism to defuse the crisis and is willing to continue playing a constructive role in bringing about peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Post-2015 Development Agenda

The UN Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015. The international community has seen tremendous progress in the implementation of the goals， but progress in various countries and regions remains very uneven.

All countries should work together to draft a fair， inclusive， and sustainable Post-2015 Development Agenda on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation. China holds that the Agenda should focus on key issues such as poverty reduction and development， respect for diversity in development modes， and adherence to the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” The Agenda should also be committed to improving peoples livelihoods， promoting inclusive economic growth and social progress， achieving balance between economic development， social justice and environmental protection， and respecting different countrieschoices in terms of their own development paths and strategies. The global development partnership needs to be further strengthened and the global development approach and mechanism needs to be improved to ensure development resources. Chinas initiatives of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road aim to realize regional interconnection and promote the comprehensive development of regional economies on the basis of mutual trust and win-win cooperation， so as to build a trust mechanism for Asia of shared destinies.

Together with the international community， China will continue promoting the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris to seek comprehensive and balanced results in the negotiation on the post-2020 international mechanism addressing climate change.

China has established a mechanism to ensure its grain security and sufficient grain reserves for a long-term period. It will also take an active role in the international communitys efforts to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty， and work with other countries to maintain global food security.

Fund shortages are a key challenge for world development. The New Development Bank， the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank， and funds that China has invested in the interconnection of Asian countries are helpful supplements to the World Bank， the Asian Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The international community should establish and improve global development partnerships on the basis of equality， mutual benefits， and win-win cooperation. Developed countries should fulfill their commitment of devoting 0.7 percent of their Gross National Incomes to Official Development Assistance.

China is willing to actively participate in global initiatives and action to fight AIDS. To combat Ebola， the Chinese government dispatched emergency medical aid and medical staff to western African countries including Guinea， Liberia， Sierra Leone， and Guinea-Bissau.