A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for joint efforts of the international community to address the harms of colonialism, which continue to plague the world in forms of hegemonism and power politics.
Speaking at a general debate on decolonization at the fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, emphasized that colonialism has caused significant suffering to developing countries.
"In human history, colonialism has sparked wars and conflicts, led to exploitation and brutality, causing immense suffering in many developing countries and resulting in countless tragedies. During that time, a few Western countries committed countless crimes by imposing colonial rule, engaging in the slave trade, and plundering resources. Even today, the world has not fully escaped the shadow of colonialism, which persists in the forms of hegemonism and power politics. This continues to hinder the development of developing countries and negatively impact normal economic, social and cultural exchanges between nations," Geng said.
"There are still unjust and unreasonable factors in the current international order, making it difficult for the vast number of developing countries to achieve true equality in terms of rules, opportunities, and rights," Geng said, noting that all of these reflect the lingering consequences of colonialism that continue to exist today.
"China strongly urges the international community to work together to address the harms of colonialism, eliminate its toxic legacy, uphold international fairness and justice, and promote the establishment of a more equitable and reasonable international order," Geng said.
Geng stated that China will continue to promote the decolonization process of the 17 non-self-governing territories and support efforts by the people of these territories to fight for the right to self-determination.
China calls on the administering governments to take effective measures to promote development, safeguard human rights, and protect the environment in these territories, he said.
"China urges those countries that once practiced colonialism or benefited from it to show political will, take responsibility for historical crimes, and compensate for the consequences of colonialism. They should abandon the colonialist mindset, stop practicing hegemonism and power politics, and refrain from harming the interests of other countries and interfering in their internal affairs," Geng said.
Chinese envoy calls for joint efforts of international community to address harms of colonialism
