Mr. President,
The past year has
witnessed impressive achievements in global and regional
cooperation on counter-terrorism, extensive implementation
of the relevant Security Council resolutions and a smooth
progress in the work of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee.
Never before has terrorism been so vigorously
contained and combated. However, we must be clear-headed
about the enormity and protractedness of our mission against
terrorism. The al-Qaeda, the Jemaah Islamiah, the
East Turkistan terrorist forces and the Chechen
rebels are still posing a grave threat to peace, security,
life and well-being of human societies and seriously
challenging peoples wish for peace, cooperation,
development and progress.
Mr.
President,
The world we live in is now
undergoing profound and complex changes. The
frequent occurrence of terror attacks, in a way, mirrors
what is going on at the deeper level in many countries.
The fight against terrorism will be a protracted
war as it involves many aspects of endeavors. We
should look at the international struggle against terrorism
from an overall and historical point of view and promote it
at a macro and strategic level. In this
connection, the Chinese Government wishes to share the
following views.
First, the kernel of
counter-terrorism is the maintenance of peace and security
of mankind. Rendering this world or its regions
unstable is the goal of terrorists and also what they depend
on for survival. Since counter-terrorism aims at removing
such threats against peace and security, all measures, means
and methods adopted by the international community should be
brought to serve this purpose and contribute to easing and
ending international or regional tensions, rather than
anything in the opposite. We must pay particular
attention to the possible impact or ramifications of such
hotspot regional issues as the Middle East, Iraq and
Afghanistan on the development of international
counter-terrorism and international cooperation in this
area. It is incumbent on the international
community to embrace a new security concept featuring mutual
trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation so as to
create a favorable macro-environment for the struggle
against terrorism.
Second, the basis of
counter-terrorism is the common development and prosperity
of all countries. Backwardness and impoverishment
engender conflicts and turmoil. The prolonged
violence and poverty in some developing countries have made
them easy prey to the manipulation of terrorists. When it
comes to stronger development efforts and tougher moves
against terrorism, we must be careful not to promote one at
the expense of the other but to give equal emphasis to both.
Only when we succeed in achieving common development by
helping each other economically, can we eradicate the cancer
of terrorism once and for all. Only when we narrow the
wealth gap and make societies fairer and more equitable, can
we deprive terrorist activities of the soil of existence.
And only when we truly fulfill the global
development strategy that allows all to exist, to win and to
enjoy the benefits of prosperity, can we deny terrorism its
last sanctuary.
Third, the guarantee of
counter-terrorism is the closer communication and
integration among civilizations. Terrorism is a common enemy
of all civilizations, ethnic groups and religions. Given
their difference in history, customs and beliefs, we ought
to encourage all countries, ethnic groups, civilizations and
religions to respect one another, live with one another in
peace and harmony, seek common grounds while shelving
differences, and learn from each other in an open and
accommodating manner. The diversity of
civilizations is a source of human progress.
Counter-terrorism should provide different
civilizations with a new opportunity to learn from each
other through mutual exchanges, a new starting point for
their dialogue and integration, and a new engine for their
common progress and prosperity, rather than a cause for
greater ethnic hatred, racial conflict, clashes of
civilizations or estrangement between
peoples.
Fourth, the key to counter-terrorism
is stronger and deeper exchanges and cooperation among
nations in the world. As a challenge at the global level,
terrorism must be dealt with jointly by countries working
hand in hand. What has transpired in the past year shows
that no country can, or should, stay away from the
international campaign against terrorism. The
success of this campaign requires the solidarity,
cooperation and the broadest united front of all countries.
It requires concerted actions, with the UN playing a
leadership role. It requires a clearly-defined direction
with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and
universally recognized norms of international law serving as
the guideline.
As the focal point of the
international regime of collective security, the Security
Council is duty-bound to provide guidance to nations, global
or regional organizations in their operations against
terrorism and facilitate a more effective cooperation in
this area. The Counter-Terrorism Committee should
do a good job in coordination and move more quickly in
formulating detailed plans for closer international
cooperation against terrorism.
Mr.
President,
China attaches great importance to
counter-terrorism. In his report to the recently
held 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China,
President Jiang Zemin called for strengthened international
cooperation to address both the symptoms and causes of
terrorism, guard against and crack down hard on
terrorist activities and eliminate the roots of terrorism
with stepped-up efforts.
China is a responsible
country that loves peace, treasures peace and endeavors to
defend peace. But at the same time, China is a victim of
terrorism. The East Turkistan terror
organizations have perpetrated numerous terrorist attacks in
Chinas Xinjiang and the neighboring regions of Central
Asia, seriously threatening peace and security in these
areas. In September last year, the Security
Council put the East Turkistan Islamic Movement
(ETIM) on the list of terrorist organizations, a move that
consigned the East Turkistan group into the
dustpan of history. Let me thank the various
countries for their understanding and support and pledge our
readiness to join all the parties in a determined and
effective fight against the East Turkistan
forces of terror.
Mr. President,
Counter-terrorism cooperation among countries
is a defender of peace, a driving force behind progress and
a sword for justice. We are convinced that reason
will prevail over brutal force and light over darkness.
The Chinese people stand ready to work with other
peoples in opposing and combating terrorism in all forms and
manifestations and advance the noble cause of peace and
development in the world.
Thank you, Mr. President.