A journey of significant contributions

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi meets with United States National Security Advisor Susan Rice in Washington on Oct 20. Yang's US trip, including his meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Boston on Oct 17 -18, is to pave the ground for US President Barack Obama's visit to China in November. [Provided to China Daily]

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. It is also the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

In 1945, after 14 years of hard struggles and at a price of 35 million military and civilian casualties, the Chinese people won the great victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, saving the nation from subjugation and making indelible historic contribution to the international efforts to triumph over fascism and militarism. This great victory also laid an important foundation for the founding of the UN.

In 1945, determined to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind", China, together with the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, initiated the San Francisco Conference and founded the UN, thus establishing the international order and system with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter at the core. This great undertaking opened a new chapter for world peace and development and mankind has since embarked on a new journey of progress.

History will remember the date of Oct 25, 1971. It was on this day that Resolution 2758, which decided to restore all legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China in the UN, was adopted by the UN General Assembly amid cheers and applauses.

In 1974, Mr Deng Xiaoping attended the 6th Special Session of the UN General Assembly, becoming the first Chinese leader to appear on the UN podium.

In 1995 and 2000, Mr Jiang Zemin visited the UN headquarters to attend the special commemorative conference for the 50th anniversary of the UN and the Millennium Summit respectively.

In 2005, Mr Hu Jintao attended the Summit on the 60th anniversary of the UN and put forward the important concept of building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

In a few days' time, Chinese President Xi Jinping will take to the highest podium of the UN for the first time and attend the summit for the 70th anniversary of the organization. This summit will have important implications for the development of international relations, future development and role of the UN and direction and outcomes of global cooperation, and it is of historic significance in the sense that it will be built on past achievements and usher in a brighter future.

With the personal care and commitment of the Chinese leaders, China's work in the UN has harvested fruitful results:

As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has always stood by peace and justice, upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. In recent years, we have proposed Chinese solutions, contributed Chinese wisdom and played Chinese role in issues such as Syria, South Sudan and the Middle East peace process. Last year, we held the Ministerial Conference of Istanbul Process on Afghanistan in Beijing, which brought together international forces in support of Afghan stability and development. This year we have actively participated in the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue and played an important role in the conclusion of the comprehensive agreement.

China continuously expands its UN peacekeeping operations. Since 1989, China has dispatched more than 30,000 personnel in 29 UN peacekeeping operations, during which 18 Chinese peacekeepers lost their lives.

As the UN is about to enter a new decade, China's relations with the UN will embrace a new starting point and China's contribution to world peace and development will also make a new leap forward.

We will stay committed to upholding world peace, always adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and participate more extensively in UN peacekeeping operations.

We will stay committed to promoting common development, uphold the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" and actively advance implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. We will work with the rest of the international community to eliminate poverty, narrow the North-South gap and enable people from all countries to share the fruits of development.

We will stay committed to promoting fairness and justice and continue to speak and act in an impartial manner in the UN. We will continue to speak up for developing countries. Together with all other countries, we will work for a more just and reasonable international order and system.

The author is China's State Councilor and former minister of foreign affairs.