An extract. > >Jiang makes speech on world peace, development at UN (09/7/2000) Chinese >President Jiang Zemin on Wednesday delivered a speech on world peace and >development at the Millennium Summit of the United Nations, which opened >earlier in the day. Jiang first appreciated the splendid material and >spiritual accomplishments mankind has scored in the outgoing millennium and >the 20th century. As the nearly 50-year-old Cold War has ended, Jiang said, >the pursuit of peace and development becomes both the common aspirations of >the people throughout the world and the theme of our times. Referring to the >unfair and irrational old world political and economic order, he said there is >still a long way to go before the two strategic issues of peace and >development are solved and a fair and equitable new international political >and economic order is established. "At present, the people in many countries >are still suffering from the scourge of wars and turmoil. Hegemonism and power >politics still exist. Local conflicts caused by ethnic, religious, territorial >or resources factors keep cropping up. Separatist, terrorist and extremist >forces of various kinds are causing incessant damages to the international >community. Environment, drugs, refugees and other global issues are more >acutely felt," Jiang added. The president stressed that history and the >realities have showed: first, respect for each other's independence and >sovereignty is vital to the maintenance of world peace; second, building >common security is the prerequisite to the prevention of conflicts and wars; >third, promoting a multipolar international configuration is required by the >progress of our times, conforms to the interests of the people of all >countries and also contributes to world peace and security. On relations >between world peace and development, Jiang said the maintenance of world peace >is the necessary precondition for the promotion of common development, which >in turn serves as an important guarantee for the maintenance of world peace. >The president also voiced great concerns about the widening gap between the >North and the South and the gulf between the rich and the poor. Imbalance in >world development is becoming more acute. Over 1.3 billion people in the world >live under the absolute poverty line, with less than one US dollar of living >expenses per capita per day. The developed countries possess 86 percent of the >world's GDP and occupy 82 percent of the world's export markets, while the >developing countries which account for the overwhelming majority of the world >population possess only 14 and 18 percent respectively, Jiang said. Jiang >stressed that the right of the people of all countries to choose their social >system and development path independently must be fully respected. North-South >dialogue should be enhanced on the basis of equality and South-South >cooperation conducted extensively. He also called on developing countries to >foster and strengthen their capacity of self-development, and urged the >creation of a good external environment for the development of the vast number >of developing countries. All countries should remove trade protectionism of >all forms, and mutually open market. Effective measures should be taken to >reduce or exempt the debts of developing countries and to increase official >aid to them without any conditions attached, Jiang added. (Xinhua) _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
