Chinese envoy calls for rejecting claims of 'superiority of certain civilizations and clash of civilizations'

UNITED NATIONS -- Efforts must be made to reject claims such as "superiority of certain civilizations and clash of civilizations," a Chinese envoy said Friday.

"We must categorically reject claims such as the superiority of certain civilizations and clash of civilizations," Dai Bing, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, told the high-level event to commemorate the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia, which was co-convened by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi at the UN headquarters in New York.

"To combat Islamophobia, we must, first of all, uphold equality. Every civilization and religion is special and unique, and none is superior to others. We must categorically reject claims such as the superiority of certain civilizations and clash of civilizations," he said.

The Chinese envoy called for promoting common development, deeming under-development one of the root causes of discrimination and intolerance.

"We must support countries in choosing development paths suited to their own national conditions, promote inclusive development, and oppose decoupling, cutting chains, and unilateral sanctions," he said.

"Religious intolerance and racial discrimination are getting worse; the hatred towards Muslims has escalated to epidemic proportions; and racist attacks such as discrimination against African descendants and hatred towards Asians occur with distressing frequency," he said.

Dai said that both Chinese and Islamic civilizations are ancient civilizations with significant global influence.

"The exchanges between us date back centuries, and enjoy a deep historical foundation and solid support from our peoples," he said.

"Over the years, we have always respected and trusted each other, and supported each other on issues involving respective core concerns."

"We have always stood in solidarity and mutual support, and shared a commitment to common development. China and the Islamic world have found a path of friendship and win-win cooperation among civilizations," he added.

"This is a fine example of how to practice the new type of international relations. And it also provides useful experience on how different countries and civilizations can interact with each other," said Dai.