Interview: Pakistani envoy says China a pillar in promoting multilateralism in UN

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China respects the principles of the UN Charter and has been a pillar in promoting multilateralism, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Munir Akram, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday.

Akram spoke to reporters after visiting a photo exhibition at the UN Headquarters in New York on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

"The core of multilateralism is the principles of the UN Charter," Akram said.

The world order is based on some core principles, including non-use of force, respect for state's sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, territorial integrity of states, the senior diplomat noted.

As long as these principles are respected, there can be peace in the world. When violations of these principles happen, such as unilateralism, attempts of coercion, attempts of foreign occupation, there are troubles in the world, said Akram.

Those are principles China adopted even before it came to the United Nations, he said, citing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence initiated in 1954 by leaders of China, India and Myanmar, as an example.

"So it brought those principles and respect those principles when it entered the UN, and it has defended those principles consistently, as we have seen in so many conflicts, so many problems in the world," he said.

In the past five decades, China has also become an example in the field of development, said the Pakistani ambassador.

China has shown how a country can develop itself from poverty into great achievements of modernization, he said.

It has also shown how international cooperation can happen through initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, which lays foundation for development and growth in developing countries, he stressed.

Pakistan is very proud to be China's consistent friend and partner for all these years, he said.

"China and Pakistan cooperate consistently across the agenda of the United Nations -- whether it is peace and security, cooperation, human rights," the ambassador said.

"On all these issues, we have close cooperation, and we will together promote the strength of the United Nations and see how we can reinforce the UN in the future," he said.

Akram, who witnessed the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 on Oct. 25, 1971, recalled the scenes of the votes exactly 50 years ago, saying that after the adoption, all of China's friends were very happy.