On 24 October, Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, delivered a video message to celebrate UN Day.

Ambassador Zhang said, happy birthday to the United Nations. Congratulations to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and to all the women and men serving under the UN flag. This UN Day comes in a time of great challenge. Major changes unseen in a century are taking place, compounded by a devastating global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts on the world. While marking this UN Day, we witness the rise of unilateralism, protectionism and bullying practices.

Ambassador Zhang said, we must ask ourselves, what kind of UN do we need? What should we do to take care of our common future? We have heard answers from world leaders during the UN75 high-level week. As President Xi Jinping pointed out: in the world, there is only one system, namely the UN-centered international system, and only one set of rules, the basic norms of international relations based on the UN Charter; To play its role in the post-COVID era, the UN must stand firm for justice, uphold the rule of law, promote cooperation and focus on real action.

Ambassador Zhang emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us in the most powerful way that we are closely interconnected, and only by upholding multilateralism, supporting the UN, and strengthening cooperation and solidarity can we defeat the pandemic and build resilience against future challenges. China stands firm with multilateralism. China stands firm with the UN Charter and international law. China stands firm with the United Nations. Together, we can build a better and shared future for all.