Founded in 1945, the United Nations embodies the wish of the international community "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind" and "to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors". It also represents the international community's commitment to multilateralism and collective response to global threats and challenges.

China made great contribution to the founding of the United Nations. In the global war against fascism, over 35 million Chinese people, both military and civilian, lost their lives or were wounded. China suffered direct economic loss of over 100 billion US dollars and indirect economic loss of over 500 billion US dollars. Long subjected to interference and aggression by imperialistic powers, China was a strong supporter to the establishment of a fair and just international organization. It is one of the sponsors of the San Francisco Conference, a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It was also the first country to sign on the UN Charter. Owing to political and historical factors, China's seat in the United Nations was illegally occupied by the Chiang Kai-shek group for 26 years, a situation that adversely affected cooperation between China and the United Nations.

On 25 October 1971, the UN General Assembly adopted at its 26th session, with an overwhelming majority, Resolution 2758 to restore the lawful seat of New China in the United Nations. The draft resolution was co-sponsored by 23 countries, namely, Albania, Algeria, Myanmar, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Iraq, Mali, Mauritania, Nepal, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Yemen, the People's Republic of Congo, Romania, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zambia. It was supported by another 53 countries. It's fair to say that the developing countries carried China into the United Nations. It was a victory for not only the Chinese people, but also all justice upholding countries. And it exerted historical impact on both the global development and that of the United Nations. As then Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations Salim put it, "This is to announce to the whole world that the Third World countries and small and medium countries can express their own voices at the podium of the United Nations."

Since the restoration of its lawful seat in the United Nations 35 years ago, China has taken an active part in UN activities in the political, economic, human rights, social, arms control, and legal fields. It endeavors to deepen cooperation with the United Nations and fulfill in good faith its international obligations. China is committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and to global peace, common development and international cooperation.

In 1974, Comrade Deng Xiaoping outlined China's stand on establishing a just and equitable new international economic order while attending the 6th Special Session of the General Assembly. At the UN summits in 1995 and 2000, President Jiang Zemin spoke about China's position on major issues concerning peace and development and the future direction of the United Nations. At the summit commemorating the 60th anniversary of the United Nations in 2005, President Hu Jintao called for building a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity. Back in 1992, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, when addressing the UN General Assembly, called for carrying out necessary and reasonable reform in the United Nations to make the organization better meet the common interests of all UN members, especially developing countries. All this represents the important contribution made by China to the sound growth of international relations and to strengthening the role of the United Nations.

Over the past 35 years, China has been fully involved in the work of the Security Council which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under the UN Charter. Being a permanent member of the Security Council, China is committed to upholding its authority and enhancing its role. It works for the settlement of hot-spot issues through peaceful means such as consultation, dialogue and negotiation, and supports the United Nations and the Secretary-General in conducting preventive diplomacy through mediation. China has played a constructive role in the Security Council and made major contribution to properly addressing a number of issues including the Iran-Iraq War, Cambodia and East Timor. China urges the Security Council to focus its attention on peace and stability in Africa. It is a strong supporter of regional organizations like the African Union. China maintains close consultation and coordination with other four permanent members of the Security Council. In 2000, the first summit meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council was held as proposed by China.

The past 35 years have also seen China's increasing participation in UN peacekeeping operations. UN peacekeeping missions, growing in practice step by step, have become an important means for the organization to secure peace and settle regional issues. The "Blue Helmet" has become a symbol of the United Nations and hope of peace.

China began to take part in UN peacekeeping operations in 1989, when 20 Chinese civilian officers were dispatched to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia. In 1990, China sent its first group of military observers to the UN Ceasefire Supervision Organization in the Middle East. In 1992, China sent a military engineering group to the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia, the first full contingent of non-combatant troops sent by China to a UN peacekeeping operation. In 1999, Chinese civilian police officers for the first time participated in UN peacekeeping operation in East Timor. In November 2003, China dispatched a team of over 500 engineering, medical and transport staff, the largest contingent it has ever sent to a UN peacekeeping operation, to the UN Mission in Liberia. In May 2004, in the first presence of Chinese peacekeepers in the Western Hemisphere, 125 Chinese riot police officers took part in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti. It was also the first time for Chinese peacekeepers to be deployed in a country having no diplomatic relations with China and the first time that a full contingent of Chinese police officers participated in UN peacekeeping operations.

By now, over 6,000 Chinese military officers, police and civilian staff have participated in 16 UN peacekeeping missions. China is now the 12th largest provider of peacekeepers in the United Nations, more than any other permanent member of the Security Council. Nine Chinese peacekeepers lost their lives for peace in these missions. After the Israel-Lebanon conflict in July 2006, China announced that it would enlarge to 1,000 the size of its troops sent to the UN ad hoc forces in Lebanon.

In the past 35 years, China has strongly supported the key role of the United Nations in international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. It has actively participated in UN disarmament deliberations and negotiations and put forward reasonable and feasible policy initiatives and proposals, playing an important role in working for substantive progress in nuclear and conventional disarmament and the prevention of weaponization of the outer space. China supports the non-proliferation process initiated by the UN. It has participated with a constructive attitude in UN governmental expert organizations in the field of armament transparency and taken an active part in the 1540 Committee of the Security Council. China has also adopted a series of laws and regulations governing non-proliferation and put in place a comprehensive non-proliferation control regime.

For 35 years, China has strongly supported the United Nations in playing a bigger role in development. It has implemented in good faith the important consensus reached at UN development conferences on poverty reduction and narrowing gap between North and South to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. China urges the developed countries to honor their commitment to increasing assistance, reducing debts and opening market so that a fairer and more just global environment can be created for the development of developing countries. It calls for improving international financial institutions and maintaining and improving the multilateral trade regime to ensure that globalization is more balanced and brings benefit to all. In addition, China actively promotes South-South cooperation and has provided assistance and support in various forms to developing countries to the best of its ability.

At the UN Millennium Summit celebrating its 60th anniversary, President Hu Jintao announced five major steps China will take to provide assistance to developing countries in the following areas: tariff reduction and debt relief, preferential loans, public health cooperation and human resources development. These steps are being implemented in real earnest. China maintains effective cooperation with the UN specialized agencies, funds and programs. It has jointly held with the United Nations international conferences in China, including the Global Conference on Scaling up Poverty Reduction, Conference on MDGs, Financing Conference on Avian Influenza, to promote international cooperation in development.

In the past 35 years, China has fully fulfilled its financial obligations to the United Nations in an unconditional and timely manner. The scale of assessment for China has increased from 0.995% in 2000 to 2.053% in 2006, ranking China the ninth largest financial contributor among all UN members and the largest one among all developing country members of the United Nations. Each year, China donates funds to UN specialized agencies, and it responds actively to the United Nation's call for providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. Right after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2005, China provided assistance worth a total of 1.3 billion RMB to disaster-stricken countries. Recently, China pledged one million US dollars to the newly founded UN Emergency Fund and another 3 million US dollars to the Peace-Building Fund.

In the past 35 years, China has played an increasingly important role in the fields of social development and human rights of the United Nations. It is a party to 22 international human rights conventions, fulfills its international human rights obligations in good faith and conducts extensive international human rights exchanges and cooperation. As one of the inaugural member states of the UN Human Rights Council, China is committed to working for the Council to respect the history, cultures and religions of all countries and address human rights issues in a universal, objective and non-selective manner.

In 1995, China successfully hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women. The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action adopted by the Conference are now guiding documents promoting women's development in the world. In 2005, the 10th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women was commemorated in Beijing. China also actively promotes international cooperation in public health. The draft resolutions introduced by China on strengthening global capacity building in public health were adopted by the 58th, 59th and 60th sessions of the UN General Assembly. China places a high priority on the role of the World Health Organization. It has nominated Dr. Margaret Chan, Assistant Director-General of the WHO and former Director of Health of the Hong Kong SAR, China, as a candidate for the election of Director-General of the WHO.

In the past 35 years, China has participated in the UN work in the legal field, including the drafting of treaties under UN auspicies and worked to uphold the rights and interests of China and other developing countries as well as justice of international law. China has acceded to many international conventions and fulfills in good faith its obligations. It has actively participated in the deliberation on legal issues at the UN General Assembly and is involved in the work of the UN International Law Committee and other law-related committees. It has designated experts and scholars to take positions in bodies of international law making and judicial organs, including serving as judge in the International Court of Justice, thus contributing to international law making and justice.

It has been 61 years since the United Nations was founded. Facing increasing global threats and challenges, the United Nations plays an irreplaceable role. Without a strong United Nations, a harmonious world of enduring peace and common development cannot be built. This is the consensus of the global community.

China-UN cooperation has both great potential and a bright future.