by+Nancy+Gong

Return to the UN

On June 26， 1945， China became the first country to sign the Charter of the United Nations， which came into effect on October 24 of that year， marking the official inauguration of the United Nations （UN）. China is not only one of the UNs 51 founding member countries， but also one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

On September 30， 1949， the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference （CPPCC） passed a decision rejecting the qualification of the Kuomintang delegation to represent China in the UN General Assembly. On November 15 of the same year， Zhou Enlai， then premier and foreign minister of the Peoples Republic of China （PRC）， wrote to the UN， stating that the delegates of the“Republic of China” （1912-1949） should be deprived of all rights to represent China in the UN.

Not until 1971 did the PRC restore its legitimate seat in the UN.

On October 25， 1971， the 26th session of the UN General Assembly discussed a motion submitted by 18 countries including Albania to restore all rights to the Peoples Republic of China and expel forthwith representatives of the Kuomintang. Eventually， the session passed Resolution 2758， with 76 votes in favor， 35 against and 17 abstentions. The resolution recognized the PRC as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations” and “one of the five permanent members of the Security Council.”

Participation in UN Affairs

In the 1970s， the first decade after the PRC resumed its lawful seat in the UN， the tide of developing countries seeking to establish new international economic order and safeguard their national independence reached its zenith. As the worlds largest developing country， China actively participated in UN affairs to help the Third World and developing countries protect their interests.

In 1973， China attended the 3rd UN Conference on the Law of the Sea， at which Chinese representatives submitted a proposal concerning the development of territorial waters， exclusive economic zones， straits， continental shelves， and international seabed resources in favor of Third World countries， facilitating the adoption of the new Law of the Sea. In 1974， the UN General Assembly passed the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order， which won praise and support from the Chinese government.

In the first decade after the PRC resumed its lawful rights in the UN， it joined some subsidiary organs of the UN， but its participation in UN affairs remained very limited.

From the end of the 1970s through the 1980s， after its reform and opening-up， China tremendously changed its foreign policies and began to widely participate in UN affairs and conventions concerning economy， security， culture， human rights， environment， disarmament， and development. China also engaged in cooperation with the UN for international aid. In September 1988， China officially entered the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. In 1999， China sent military observers to the UN Truce Supervision Organization in the Middle East， heralding Chinas first participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

China as a Responsible Great Power

In every year of the 1990s， China sent delegates to the UN General Assembly to clarify Chinas viewpoints on hot global and regional issues， indicating that China attached great importance to the role of the UN. In September 2000， Jiang Zemin， then president of China， stressed at the UN Millennium Summit that the role of the UN should only be strengthened， not weakened， and that the authority of the UN must be protected， not damaged. He also proposed to hold a meeting of the heads of state of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

China is playing an increasingly important role in safeguarding world peace within the framework of the UN. For instance， it has made great contributions to the peaceful settlement of global and regional problems such as the Iraq issue， the North Korean nuclear crisis， and the Iran issue. By May 2015， China had dispatched 15 peacekeeping delegations with a total of 2，837 members to six UN peacekeeping areas. Moreover， it sent 89 military observers and staff officers to attend UN peacekeeping missions. Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council， China sent the largest number of peacekeepers.

China also actively supports reform of the UN. In 2005， the Chinese government issued its first paper outlining its position concerning UN reform， which clarified the countrys viewpoints on the role that UN reform should play in promoting development and security. With respect to reform of the UN Security Council， China calls for increased representation of developing countries while persisting in the principle of regional balance and recognizing representation of various cultures and civilizations.

Through its active participation in UN affairs， China is demonstrating a diplomatic image of a confident， friendly and responsible great power. With the enhancement of its international position and overall strength， China will make greater contributions to safeguarding the authority of the UN and maintaining world peace and prosperity.