On 17 September 2020, the South China Morning Post published Ambassador Zhang Jun’s op-ed “At 75, the UN is needed now more than ever to resist American unilateralism”. Here is the full text of the article:

The United Nations will mark its 75th anniversary next week. For the first time in history, the commemoration will take place under the shadow of a pandemic. The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 has completely changed our world, including how the UN works. President Xi Jinping and other world leaders will, for the first time, gather virtually for the annual General Assembly session and commemorative events.

The UN was founded in the aftermath of World War II to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. It has grown into the world’s most representative and authoritative inter-governmental organisation. With its help, new world wars have been prevented, over a billion people have been lifted out of poverty, and human rights have been recognised as a universal value. The efforts of the UN have made real differences to everyone’s lives.

The world is witnessing changes unseen in a century. With daunting global challenges, there are mixed feelings about the UN – expectations as well as worries. Indeed, the UN has come to a crossroads.

Covid-19 is wreaking havoc with human society. Sadly, things are made worse by the man-made “viruses” of unilateralism and protectionism. The bullying practices of the United States are undermining the world order, eroding international cooperation and derailing the global fight against Covid-19.

Some people ask if we still need the UN. The answer is yes. We need a strong UN more than ever. The overwhelming majority of the UN member states believe multilateral cooperation is crucial in addressing global challenges, and see the UN as essential. This demonstrates a clear choice of unity over division, cooperation over confrontation, mutual benefit over a zero-sum game.

This choice shall guide the international community in the right direction. Delivering this choice is the most urgent task of the UN, a task that cannot fail.

We need the UN to defend multilateralism. Multilateralism, a core value of the UN Charter, has guaranteed world peace and development over the past 75 years. But it is coming under serious threat today. Putting a stop to unilateral actions is our only option to safeguard the central role of the UN, and ensure multilateralism works for the interests of all, not just a few.

We need the UN to safeguard fairness and justice, which are the legal and moral foundation for an effective UN. Global issues must be addressed through consultation of all parties and in the spirit of international law.

Commitments must be kept. Rules must be followed. Agreements must be fulfilled. Exceptionalism leads nowhere. Power politics does nothing but revives the law of the jungle. It is high time that we defended the world order based on international law.

We need the UN to nurture mutually beneficial cooperation. All peoples are entitled to a better life, including those in developing countries. It is morally unjustifiable for any country to claim primacy of its own national interest. No one can achieve greatness in isolation, and any attempt at decoupling will prove counterproductive. An open world economy for mutual benefit is essential for global recovery.

We need the UN to get things done. Our world faces multiple challenges, in particular climate change, infectious diseases, terrorism, digital security and transnational crime.

None of these could be resolved without the concerted efforts of the international community. As an organisation with 193 member states, it should pull together the strengths of all and take concrete action to improve global governance and tackle global challenges.

It is saddening to see the world becoming increasingly divided when unity is needed. This is not about problems between particular member states; this is multilateralism versus unilateralism, and right versus wrong. The choice we make will determine the future of all mankind. Building a stronger UN is the right choice.

China stands firm with multilateralism. As a founding member of the UN and the first country to put its signature on the UN Charter, China has all along supported the UN to play an important role, upheld its authority, and followed the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

China will make every effort to push for a responsive global governance system guided by the principles of consulting together, building together and sharing together.

China will also continue to join other countries in fighting Covid-19. The battle against the virus can only be won through solidarity and cooperation. In this interconnected world, no one is safe until everyone is safe.

China has made it clear that a Covid-19 vaccine developed in China will be made a global public good. This will contribute to making a vaccine accessible and affordable for developing countries and support the work of the World Health Organisation.

China is committed to fostering world peace. It has contributed US$1.3 billion, the full amount of its financial obligations for the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets for this year. Over 2,500 Chinese “blue helmets” are deployed in Mali, South Sudan and other countries.

Going forward, China will scale up its participation in peacekeeping operations and promote political settlement in Syria, Libya and Yemen. It will also continue to work with other Security Council members to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and seek a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

China will continue to help other developing countries within the South-South cooperation framework. We will seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Covid-19 crisis provides an opportunity for a green recovery. China’s commitment to the Paris Agreement remains solid. As the host of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held next year in Kunming, China stands ready to establish an ambitious, balanced and action-oriented post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

We have a shared future. To build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful post-Covid-19 world, one that enjoys peace, security and common prosperity, we need a United Nations that is truly united. It is not easy, but we have to move forward. There is no other choice.