Chair,

China congratulates you on your successful election. You and other members of the Bureau can count on China’s support. China aligns itself with the statement made by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. 

65 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, sounding a clarion call for ending colonialism and inspiring colonial countries and peoples in their pursuit of freedom, equality, and independence. Over the past 65 years, guided by the Declaration, the global decolonization process has registered tremendous progress. Many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have broken free from colonial shackles, gained independence, and emerged as new nations. Their rise has reshaped the world. 65 years on, despite the end of colonial occupation and the collapse of colonial dominance, the colonial mentality still persists, and its legacy of hegemony and power politics remains rampant. We must bear in mind that eradicating colonialism entails more than ending military occupation and other physical forms of exploitation and oppression. More importantly, it is imperative to resist the intangible colonial mindset in ideological, political, economic, and cultural domains, eradicate the remnants of colonial legacy, uphold the principle of sovereign equality, and safeguard international fairness and justice.

Recently, Venezuela, on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, submitted to the Fourth Committee a draft resolution entitled International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations. The draft resolution, by declaring this International Day, aims to urge the international community to remember the harm of colonialism, accelerate the ongoing decolonization process, and commit to ending colonialism in all its forms and manifestations. China hopes that member states will support this draft resolution and contribute to the completion of decolonization and the advancement of democratization and the rule of law in international relations. 

Chair, 

In this past September, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative, calling for building a more just and equitable global governance system. It is without doubt that promoting and completing the decolonization process and eliminating the colonial mentality are indispensable components of better global governance. China supports accelerating the decolonization process of the 17 non-self-governing territories, and stands by the peoples of these territories in their unremitting efforts to exercise their right to self-determination. China stands ready to work with the international community to seize the opportunity of the fourth international decade for the eradication of colonialism and accelerate the implementation of the decade’s plan of action. Let us work collectively to address the harm of colonialism, build a more just and equitable international order, and create a better future for humanity.

Before concluding, I would like to point out that the question of the Malvinas Islands is an unresolved issue of colonialism. China has consistently advocated the settlement of territorial disputes between countries through peaceful negotiations in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We hope that all parties concerned will proceed on the basis of relevant UN resolutions and find a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to this issue. 

Thank you, Chair.