Support for the Countries and Peoples of Latin America in their Struggle to Safeguard National Independence and State Sovereignty

At the 28th Session of the U.N. General Assembly held on 2 October 1973, Chairman of the Government Delegation of the People?s Republic of China Qiao Guanhua once again elaborated the position of the Chinese Government. He said that the medium and small countries are unfurling a struggle of great dimension in opposing the maritime hegemonism of the super-powers centering on the question of maritime rights. The struggle to oppose maritime hegemonism is an important aspect of the developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to safeguard their national resources and develop their national economy and also a new focal point in the current struggle against hegemonism. So long as medium and small countries seek common ground and put aside their differences, unite and persist in making unrelenting and protracted efforts, the struggle to oppose maritime hegemonism will certainly triumph. In March 1975, the Third Session of the U.N. 3rd conference on the law of the Sea was held in Geneva. The Chinese Delegation deliberated actively at the session, unite with the countries of the third world and support their reasonable demand in safeguarding their national maritime rights.

In 1974, the 6th Special Session of the U.N. General Assembly was held and the ?Declaration on the Establishment of a new International Economic Order? and the ?Programme of Action? was adopted. The Chinese Government highly assessed and supported these two documents. The Chinese Government Delegation led by Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping, attended this session and made an important speech in which he elaborated on the necessity of restructuring the old and unequal international economic order and explicitly proposed the establishment of a new international economic order. He said that the economic lifelines of many Asian, African and Latin American countries were still subjected to control to different extent by colonialism and imperialism after they have gained their political independence and the old economic structure has not been changed fundamentally. The plunder and exploitation by colonialism, imperialism especially the super-powers have made the poor countries even poorer and the rich becoming even richer and the gap between the poor and the rich countries is becoming wider. Countries of the third world strongly demand a change in such extremely unequal international economic relations and many fair and reasonable proposals for reform have been advanced. The Chinese Government and the Chinese people warmly endorse and firmly support all the just proposals advanced by countries of the third world.