China has made efforts to facilitate the settlement of the issue of Sudan. In Southern Sudan, China has provided 66 million yuan in gratis assistance, helped with human resources training and contributed to local development. China has provided Darfur with 180 million yuan worth of humanitarian and development assistance and contributed $2.3 million and $1 million to the AU and UN trust funds respectively. China has also actively participated in the UN Mission in the Sudan and the AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur. China will continue to work for the proper settlement of the issue of Sudan.

11. The Issue of Somalia

China is concerned about the situation in Somalia and hopes that the parties concerned in Somalia will put the interests of the country and its people above everything else and solve their disputes through dialogue and consultation so as to bring about peace and stability at an early date. China supports the efforts of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government to seek national reconciliation and those of the African Union and other regional organizations to advance the peace process in Somalia. China calls on the international community to render greater support to the Transitional Federal Government and African Union's peacekeeping operations in Somalia. In recent years, China has on many occasions provided assistance to the Transitional Federal Government and African Union's peacekeeping operations in Somalia. We will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in moving forward the peace process in Somalia.

Despite recent progress in international cooperation on the fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia, the threat of pirate attacks is far from being eliminated and stronger coordination and cooperation are needed. China supports anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia in accordance with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions and has engaged in international cooperation to safeguard shipping order and safety in the Somali waters. At the same time, the international community should lay stress on removing the root causes of piracy, help Somalia achieve peace and stability at an early date and help strengthen capacity building in Somalia and other littoral countries.

12. The Kosovo Issue

It is the common objective of the international community to properly resolve the Kosovo issue and build a Kosovo where diverse ethnic groups live together in harmony. The best way to resolve the issue of Kosovo's status is for the Serbian government and the Kosovo authorities to reach a mutually acceptable solution through negotiation within the framework of relevant Security Council resolutions. This is also what the international community should continue to work for.

Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is a fundamental principle of the contemporary international legal regime and constitutes the basis for the contemporary international legal order. China respects Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and takes note of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Kosovo issue. We believe that the advisory opinion is no obstacle to a proper settlement to the issue through negotiation between the parties concerned on the basis of relevant Security Council resolutions.

IV. Development Issues

1. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

The UN MDGs serve as the framework for international development cooperation. The international community has made some progress in implementing the MDGs over the past decade. But it remains a long and uphill journey worldwide to meet the goals on schedule by 2015.

The UN will hold a High-level Event in September to discuss ways to realize the MDGs before 2015 and formulate action strategies accordingly. The international community should see this as a good opportunity to consolidate political consensus so as to achieve positive results that are operable and deliverable. To this end, the international community should encourage and support countries in taking development paths that suit their national realities and exploring growth patterns that will achieve development and reduce poverty. They should also strive to build a global development partnership of equality, mutual benefit and win-win progress. Strengthening and improving the UN MDGs working mechanisms calls for better coordination and progress assessment of the various goals as well as monitoring the implementation of international development aid. The international community needs to show determination to act decisively, and take pragmatic and effective measures, to create favorable external environment for developing countries, and help them, especially African countries to realize the MDGs at an early date.

2. Africa's Development

Development is a pressing and arduous task facing Africa. The international community, developed countries in particular, should continue to offer more support and help to Africa, effectively honor their commitments of aid for Africa, and enhance African countries' capacity for self-development through opening markets, transferring technologies and increasing investment and other measures. They should assist Africa in upholding and consolidating peace and stability, respect African countries' independent choice of development patterns and provide support for African countries' development. They should push for a just and equitable new international political and economic order so as to create favorable external conditions for Africa's development. They should encourage South-South cooperation as a useful supplement to North-South cooperation.

China is always committed to peace and development in Africa. In the past few years, although seriously impacted by the international financial crisis, China has earnestly implemented various aid and cooperation measures, increased assistance to Africa by a large margin, reduced or canceled debts owed by the heavily indebted poor countries and the least developed countries in Africa, and maintained trade and investment levels. At the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last November, the Chinese Government announced a host of policy measures in support of African development. China is earnestly delivering on those commitments to make sure African countries and people benefit from them at an early date. China is ready to work with African countries and the international community to continue its contribution to the development of Africa.

3. Food Security

Food security is the foundation of economic growth and social stability and an important prerequisite for the independence of a country and peace in the world. Food security is in essence a development issue; therefore, the international community should approach and deal with food security from the perspective of the survival and common development of mankind, and make concerted efforts to safeguard global food security. In this connection, China proposes the following:

 —Increase input in agriculture and improve grain production in order to safeguard food supply and maintain an overall balance between grain supply and demand.

 —Advance institutional reform and improve the governance system. The establishment of a global food security governance mechanism and security system that is equitable, practical, balanced and durable should be encouraged, and the global grain production, reserve and distribution should become more equitable and sustainable.

—Bear in mind the long-term and overall interests, push for positive results at the Doha Round agricultural negotiation, and foster an enabling international environment for developing countries in trade, finance, intellectual property rights and other fields related to agricultural products.

 —Take a holistic view and achieve all-round and balanced development. Food security is closely related to economic growth, social progress, climate change and energy security. The international community should take a comprehensive approach to ensure sustainable food security.

4. Energy Security

 Energy security bears closely on the growth of the world economy and the well-being of people around the world. In the aftermath of the international financial crisis, upholding global energy security is of special significance to the global efforts to effectively tackle the crisis and push for the full recovery and long-term development of the world economy.

To this end, the international community should work to stabilize energy price and prevent excessive speculation to meet the energy demand of countries, developing countries in particular. We should improve energy mix, promote the development of new energy and renewable energy and related cooperation, build up an R&D and dissemination system for advanced energy technologies and strengthen technology transfer and financial support to developing countries. We should coordinate international cooperation in energy and development and assist developing countries in growing their economies and improving people's livelihood through poverty alleviation programs based on energy development.

5. Climate Change

Climate change, a major challenge facing today's world, needs to be addressed through international cooperation. Climate change is primarily caused by developed countries' historical cumulative emissions over several centuries and their current high per capita emissions. Developed countries bear unshirkable responsibilities for climate change and they should continue to take the lead in emission reduction, and honor their obligations of providing financial resources and technology transfers to developing countries set forth in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. Developing countries are the main victims of climate change. Facing the pressing tasks of development and poverty eradication, they will nonetheless contribute their part to the joint efforts to cope with climate change by embarking on the road of sustainable development.

In essence, climate change is a development issue, and should be addressed in the context of sustainable development. In the international climate change cooperation, the principles of equity and "common but differentiated responsibilities" should be observed and the role of UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol as the main channel of international cooperation should be upheld. The stage of development and level of economic and social development of the developing countries is hugely different from that of the developed countries. Therefore, developing countries will take voluntary, appropriate mitigation actions supported by finance and technology transfer from the developed countries, in the context of sustainable development which is in essence different from the quantified reduction obligation of the developed countries, and this is in line with the fundamental principle of the UNFCCC and relevant provisions of the Bali Roadmap.

To push for positive outcome at the UN climate change conference scheduled for the end of the year in Cancun, Mexico, parties concerned should build on the achievements of the Copenhagen Conference and move in the right direction as mandated by the Bali Roadmap, fully respect the developing countries' development stages and rights, and translate the related provisions of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol into reality. We hope the developed countries will fully demonstrate political sincerity, fulfill their obligations and honor their commitments in good faith, and make positive contribution to the international cooperation on tackling climate change.

The Chinese Government values the positive role of the UN in promoting international cooperation on climate change. China is ready to take an active and constructive attitude and engage other parties in thorough and candid exchanges of views on major issues so as to breathe new life into the international cooperation on climate change.

6. South-South Cooperation

For developing countries, South-South cooperation is an important channel to draw on the strength of each other and realize common development, as well as an important means to help each other to address development challenges. In recent years, South-South cooperation has achieved positive progress, generating active trade and investment among the developing countries. Some new mechanisms and initiatives have been launched among developing countries, injecting new vitality into South-South cooperation.