Jiang Zemin Calls for Fair New World OrderVisiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin called for joint efforts of the people of all countries to establish a fair and equitable new international political and economic order.The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and other universally recognized norms governing international relations, far from being outdated, should constitute the basis of the new order, Jiang said at the welcoming dinner hosted by Israeli President Ezer Weizman. It is necessary to put into practice the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non- aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, Jiang said. Jiang also reiterated the importance of persistent peaceful settlement of international disputes, sovereign equality of all countries, respect for the national conditions of countries, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and closer mutually-beneficial cooperation for common development. "All these principles should be observed by each and every country," Jiang noted. "Big countries, or blocs of big countries, shoulder major responsibility for facilitating the establishment of the new order," he said. They should pay close attention to the demands and interests of the developing countries and make due efforts to safeguard peace, promote development of these countries and narrow the gap between North and South, Jiang added. Jiang said that political multipolarity serves world peace and development, and conforms to the aspiration of all the peoples. With the collapse of the centuries-long colonialist system and the end of half-a-century Cold War, it has become increasingly difficult for hegemonism and power politics to go on and for the very few big powers or blocs of big powers to monopolize international affairs and control the fate of other countries, Jiang pointed out. He said peace and development represent the trend of the times, and with the accelerated political multipolarization and economic globalization and the dynamic advances in science and technology, humanity is faced with not only rare opportunities for development but also grave challenges. "Regional conflicts and local wars have broken out one after another, and the gap between North and South in development and wealth continues to widen instead of narrowing," Jiang said. The pace remains slow in improving the quality of life of the people in developing countries, who account for two thirds of the total world population, Jiang added. "For this reason, we have always emphasized that the maintenance of lasting world peace requires greater efforts and that there is still a long way to go before the objective of common development for all countries is attained," Jiang said. "All in all, opportunities outnumber challenges and hope outweighs difficulties," Jiang said, adding that as long as the people of all countries work together, they will keep advancing the lofty cause of world peace and development. Eventually, backwardness, ignorance and evils in all forms will be conquered and progress, science and justice will prevail. This is an irresistible law of history, Jiang said. Jiang arrived in Israel earlier Wednesday on the first leg of his five-nation tour, which will also take him to Palestine, Turkey, Greece and South Africa. |
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