Chinese foreign minister discusses UN role with counterparts

Xinhua news agency domestic service, Beijing
30 Sep 04

UN role”, carried by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China
News Agency)

United Nations, 29 September: PRC [People’s Republic of China] Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing, in New York to attend the 59th UN General
Assembly, on 29 September met separately with 59th UN General Assembly
President and Gabonese Foreign Minister Jean Ping, Belarusian Foreign
Minister Syarhey Martynow, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Uthman
Isma’il, Comoros Foreign Minister Souef Mohamed el Amine, Vanuatu
Foreign Minister Barak Sope Maautamate, Pakistani Foreign Minister
Khurshid Kasuri, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, South
African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Burmese Prime
Minister’s Office [Labour] Minister Tin Win, and Jamaican Foreign
Minister Keith D. Knight. They exchanged views on bilateral relations
as well as international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Li Zhaoxing said that only by adhering to multilateralism and adopting
collective action can global threats and challenges be met
effectively, can there be advances in the democratization of and the
rule of law in international relations, and can general security and
common development be realized. Li Zhaoxing stressed that the United
Nations is the most universal, authoritative, and representative
international organization, and that it is an important venue for the
realization of multilateralism. All nations have the responsibility
and duty to continually strengthen the core role that the United
Nations plays in international affairs, he added.

All sides praised China for actively promoting the development of
multilateralism and strengthening the role of the United Nations. They
expressed willingness to make joint efforts with China, to adhere to
the path of multilateralism, to strengthen the role of the United
Nations, and to collectively respond to threats and challenges.

Li Zhaoxing also expounded on China’s stance on the Taiwan issue. Jean
Ping and other foreign ministers all reiterated that they will adhere
to the one-China stance and oppose having Taiwan participate in the
United Nations and other intergovernmental international
organizations.

While meeting with South African Foreign Minister Zuma and Pakistani
Foreign Minister Kasuri, Li Zhaoxing said he hoped that the two
countries would earnestly protect the safety of local Chinese
citizens. The two nations stated they will adopt corresponding
measures.

Li Zhaoxing thanked Jamaica for volunteering to serve as the host
country for a “China-Jamaica economic and trade cooperation forum”
proposed by China. The Jamaican foreign minister said that the forum
will be beneficial to the promotion of friendly cooperative relations
between the Caribbean countries and China.