Mr. President,

The Chinese delegation firmly opposes the inclusion of the item 42 and 158 of the draft agenda in the agenda of the 60th session of the General Assembly. The requests made by Gambia and a very few other countries constitute a gross interference in China's internal affairs and a brazen violation of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI). The Chinese Government and people strongly condemn and firmly oppose such an act. In his letter addressed to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 12 August, the Permanent Representative of China has stated comprehensively the position of the Chinese Government on this question. Now, I wish to reiterate the following points:

1. There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. The one-China principle has been recognized by the overwhelming majority of the Member States of the United Nations and the international community as well.

2. The issue of China's representation in the United Nations has long been solved once and for all. In 1971, the UN General Assembly at its twenty-sixth session adopted, by an overwhelming majority, the historic resolution 2758 (XXVI), which stipulated unequivocally that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. Since Taiwan is a region of China, China's representation in the United Nations naturally includes Taiwan. There is simply no such issue as the so-called "Taiwan's representation in the United Nations". Taiwan, as a part of China, is not eligible to participate, under whatever name, in the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Thus the General Committees of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 have all flatly rejected to include the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations" in the agenda of the General Assembly

3. The Chinese Government has consistently adhered to the basic policy of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" in seeking solutions to the Taiwan question and advocated cross-Straits dialogues and negotiations on the basis of the one-China principle.

For years, we have made unswerving efforts to promote cross-Straits relations. We have vigorously encouraged three direct links of trade, mail and air and shipping services, people-to-people contacts, and cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation in the economic, educational, scientific, technological, cultural, public health and other fields. In 2004, cross-Straits trade volume reached 78.3 billion US dollars. The mainland has now become Taiwan's biggest export market, and Taiwan is mainland's second largest import market. In the same year, 3.68 million Taiwan compatriots visited mainland and 145,000 mainland people visited Taiwan.

This year, thanks to our vigorous efforts, cross-Straits exchanges have witnessed significant progress. Leaders of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, the People First Party and the New Party paid successful visits to the mainland. The two sides had a sincere, frank and in-depth exchange of views on major issues relating to cross-Straits relations and inter-party ties, expressing their wishes to see an early restoration of cross-Straits dialogues and negotiations on the basis of the 1992 consensus. These visits help move cross-Straits relations towards peace and stability, serve the common interests of people on both sides of the Straits and conform to the aspiration of Taiwan compatriots for peace, stability and development, thus receiving broad support from people on both sides of the Straits and winning full recognition by the international community. We have sufficient confidence, sincerity and patience, through full exchanges, active cooperation and mutual consideration, to enhance communication and understanding with our Taiwan compatriots, thus creating a brighter future for cross-Straits relations and achieving mutual benefit and a win-win situation.

4. The Chinese Government has been consistently engaged in maintaining peace and stability of Taiwan Straits and achieving peaceful reunification of China. The Chinese Government and people ardently love peace. We wish more than anybody else to realize national reunification through peaceful means, and China wishes more than any other country to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region. So long as there is a glimmer of hope for peaceful reunification, we will exert our utmost to realize it, and we will never give up.

The legislation of the Anti-Secession Law by China's National People's Congress has a clear purpose, namely, to oppose and check Taiwan's secession from China by secessionists in the name of "Taiwan independence", promote peaceful national reunification, maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, preserve China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. This legislation codifies the Chinese Government's basic guidelines on the Taiwan question as well as the relevant major policies and important propositions it has implemented or advanced over the years. The provisions in the law have given expression to our consistent position and proposition for the prospect of peaceful reunification with maximum sincerity and utmost efforts. They have demonstrated our sincerity and willingness to promote cross-Straits exchanges and dialogues, thus receiving understanding and support from most countries in the world and major international organizations.

This domestic law of China is a law of peace aimed at preserving state sovereignty and territorial integrity, seeking peaceful reunification and preventing, to the greatest extent, unfortunate situation from happening between the two sides. The Taiwan authorities would have no reason at all to worry about and oppose this law if they were not engaged in secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence".

5. It is the "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities perpetrated by the Taiwan authorities that are the real source of tension in the Taiwan Straits. The Taiwan authorities still refuse to recognize the 1992 consensus and restore dialogues and negotiations on the basis of the one-China principle. They have obstinately followed their secessionist position of "Taiwan independence" and tried everything possible to restrain people-to-people exchanges and contacts and carry out secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence". It has been proven by ample facts that the secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence" pose the biggest obstacle to the growth of cross-Straits relations as well as the biggest immediate threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region at large. The Taiwan authorities must abandon their secessionist position and stop all secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence", so that peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits can be maintained.

6. Respect for State sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in a country's internal affairs are important principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The question of Taiwan is purely an internal affair of China. It should be settled jointly by the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. No foreign force has the right to interfere. We strongly urge Gambia and a very few other countries to strictly abide by the above principles and stop doing anything further to support the secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence" and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. We highly appreciate the right position adopted by the vast number of Member States in abiding by the one-China principle. We believe that the General Committee of the 60th session the General Assembly will, as always, reject the requests of inclusion of Taiwan-related additional items in the agenda of the General Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. President.