Representatives to the United Nations (UN) applaud enthusiastically as the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) adopts at its 26th session a resolution with an overwhelming majority
of votes to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the UN, Oct. 25, 1971.
(File photo)
On Oct. 25, 1971, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted at its 26th session
Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority of votes (76 in favor, 35 opposed and 17
abstentions) to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the UN. The
passage of the resolution represented a significant victory of the diplomacy of the PRC as well as
the forces of justice in the world.
The restoration of the lawful seat of the PRC in the UN ushered in a brand new chapter of the
cooperation between China and the UN. With courage and resolution, China has constantly
integrated itself into the international system. It has joined almost all universal intergovernmental
organizations, and signed more than 600 international conventions and amendments.
As the only developing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council,
China has adhered to the UN Charter spirit and spoken up and acted for justice all along, playing a
key role in safeguarding international equity and justice.
Over the past 50 years, multilateralism has experienced rapid development, and the international
landscape has undergone profound changes. During the period, the collective rise of emerging
markets and developing countries around the world represented by China has greatly enhanced the
forces for safeguarding world peace and development.
While firmly safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core, international order
underpinned by international law, and the UN’s central role in international affairs, China has
created a miracle of human progress with its own development, and made increasingly significant
contributions to world peace and development.
The past five decades have witnessed how the interests of countries become increasingly
intertwined and their future more closely linked. When profound changes and the COVID-19
pandemic, both unseen in a century, are coupled, humanity is confronted by multiple risks and
challenges, which requires strong and global responses.
China proposed building a community with a shared future for mankind and has always advocated
building a consensus on jointly tackling challenges through the platform of the UN, which is the
right choice conforming to the trend of the times.
No matter how the international landscape evolves, China always holds high the banner of
multilateralism and unswervingly safeguards the UN-centered international system and the
international order underpinned by international law, defends the legitimate rights and interests of
developing countries, speaks out for justice for them on the international stage, and helps make the
global governance system fairer and more reasonable.
From putting forward the well-known “Three Worlds” theory to making the scientific judgment
that peace and development are the themes of today’s world, and from proposing the
establishment of a new international political and economic order to calling for the construction of
a harmonious world and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind,
China has contributed wisdom and solutions to advancing world peace and development at every
historical juncture.
China has spared no effort to support international cooperation against COVID-19, put forward
the idea of building a global community of health for all, called for working together on global
ecological civilization construction, building a shared future for all life on Earth, and fostering a
community of life for man and Nature, and proposed a Global Development Initiative and the idea
of building a global community of development with a shared future.
Such endeavors have manifested China’s firm resolve and earnest action to safeguard and practice
multilateralism and support the development of the cause of the UN, and helped the rest of the
world see more clearly the positive changes brought to the world by China’s continuous
development and understand better the important value of the idea of building a community with a
shared future for mankind.
As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, China has become “a strong pillar of
multilateralism” and the aim of practicing multilateralism is to build a “shared future.”
China always believes that multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through
consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together. Holding grand
commemorative activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the PRC’s lawful seat
in the UN demonstrates once again the country’s commitment to safeguarding and practicing
multilateralism and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
China called on the UN to hold high the banner of true multilateralism and serve as the central
platform for countries to jointly safeguard universal security, share development achievements and
chart the course for the future of the world, as well as to stay committed to ensuring a stable
international order, increasing the representation and say of developing countries in international
affairs, and taking the lead in advancing democracy and rule of law in international relations.
The country also called on the international organization to advance, in a balanced manner, work
in all the three areas of security, development and human rights, create a common agenda,
highlight pressing issues and focus on real actions, and see to it that commitments made by all
parties to multilateralism are truly delivered.
Standing at a new historical starting point, China will continue to make all-out efforts in
participating in UN affairs, safeguard the status of the UN, uphold the purposes and principles of
the UN Charter, hold high the banner of true multilateralism, and move forward hand in hand with
all progressive forces in the world toward the building of a community with a shared future for
mankind.
The decision, while representing a solemn promise made by the century-old Communist Party of
China, demonstrates the historical consciousness and sense of mission of China as a responsible
major country.
