Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese delegation fully supports the statement made by South Africa on behalf of the G-77 and China. We'd like to thank the Secretary-General and the Special Rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and relevant acts of intolerance for their respective reports submitted to the General Assembly.

In the view of my delegation, racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia constitute gross violations of human rights. The early solution of these serious problem require courage and political on the part of the international community. The Durban Declaration and Program of Action adopted at the 2001 World Conference against Racism are guidelines for the international community in its fight against racism. However, the result of the implementation of the Durban Declaration over the past five years can only be described as mixed. We call on countries to support the proposal for the Durban Review Process, which will not only help the international community to further clarify its goals, identify gaps in its work and strengthen coordination of actions, but also facilitate our efforts aimed at addressing and fighting racism and racial discrimination in their new forms. We are pleased to note that the Secretary-General's report has described concrete measures taken by the UN, member states and NGOs in the field of fighting racism.

The Chinese delegation, having studied the report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the question of racial discrimination (A/61/335), notes the current serious proliferation of phenomena of racial discrimination as pointed out by the Special Rapporteur, including rejection of the pluralistic culture, hate for Islam, and the increasing legitimization of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. We appreciate the valuable recommendations put forward by the Special Rapporteur, especially the proposed two-pronged strategy against racism, namely, a strategy that involve both work in political and legal field and in the field of morality, ideas and culture.

Mr. Chairman,

The right to national self-determination is an important inalienable human right. It is a solemn political right that all peoples are entitled to in their struggle against foreign aggression and interference, and in their efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, independence and human dignity. The international community should implement the UN Charter and relevant principles of the international law in their totality, fully protect and facilitate the realization of the right to national self-determination and promote the harmonious advancement of peace, development and human rights.

The Chinese delegation supports the Palestinian people in their relentless struggle for the right to self-determination. We hope that the international community plays a more active role in seeking a comprehensive and fair solution to the question of Palestine, so as to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East at an early date.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.