A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for joint efforts of the international community to address the harms of colonialism, which continue to plague the world in forms of hegemonism and power politics.
Speaking at a general debate on decolonization at the fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, emphasized that colonialism has caused significant suffering to developing countries.
"In human history, colonialism has sparked wars and conflicts, led to exploitation and brutality, causing immense suffering in many developing countries and resulting in countless tragedies. During that time, a few Western countries committed countless crimes by imposing colonial rule, engaging in the slave trade, and plundering resources. Even today, the world has not fully escaped the shadow of colonialism, which persists in the forms of hegemonism and power politics. This continues to hinder the development of developing countries and negatively impact normal economic, social and cultural exchanges between nations," Geng said.
"There are still unjust and unreasonable factors in the current international order, making it difficult for the vast number of developing countries to achieve true equality in terms of rules, opportunities, and rights," Geng said, noting that all of these reflect the lingering consequences of colonialism that continue to exist today.
"China strongly urges the international community to work together to address the harms of colonialism, eliminate its toxic legacy, uphold international fairness and justice, and promote the establishment of a more equitable and reasonable international order," Geng said.
Geng stated that China will continue to promote the decolonization process of the 17 non-self-governing territories and support efforts by the people of these territories to fight for the right to self-determination.
China calls on the administering governments to take effective measures to promote development, safeguard human rights, and protect the environment in these territories, he said.
"China urges those countries that once practiced colonialism or benefited from it to show political will, take responsibility for historical crimes, and compensate for the consequences of colonialism. They should abandon the colonialist mindset, stop practicing hegemonism and power politics, and refrain from harming the interests of other countries and interfering in their internal affairs," Geng said.
Chinese envoy calls for joint efforts of international community to address harms of colonialism
Fatima, a Lebanese refugee, recounted her harrowing escape with her family from Israel's assault on southern Lebanon, which reflects the suffering of innocent civilians from Israel's brutal, indiscriminate attacks.
The death toll in Lebanon from the ongoing Israeli attacks had risen to 2,367 since the outbreak of the latest round of Hezbollah-Israeli conflict on October 8, 2023, while injuries went up to 11,088, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The recent escalation of violence and relentless bombardment also forced a large number of Lebanese to flee their homes.
A few days ago, Fatima's family, which has 16 members, had to left Lebanon and went to its neighboring country Syria to find safety from the ongoing war.
At a shelter in Syria's Homs, where the Lebanese refugee family has settled now, Fatima shared her traumatic memories of Israel's strikes during her escape, which remain vivid and intense in her mind. "The Israeli bombardment is indiscriminate. We fled to Syria by motorcycles and cars. During our escape, we didn't take anything with us except the clothes we were wearing. The bombing went on day and night. We left at dawn, and they bombed us a few more times along the way. We kept running, and our kids were so scared that they urinated in their pants, and their faces went pale. The screams of the kids were so unbearable, and even now, I can still feel their fear," said Fatima.
Fatima and her family lived in southern Lebanon, where Israeli airstrikes have wreaked havoc so far this month. She still remembered the deafening bombing by Israeli warplanes which were directly flying overhead at that time.
"The bombardment was deafening, and our car started to sway. I couldn't tell if it was fear, but it felt like the warplanes were right above us. When the missiles were launched, the sound shattered the car windows. One building that was struck was filled with farmers and a teacher. They were people who had nothing to do with the war or Hezbollah, but the Israeli forces bombed them, killing all of them. Even at the border crossing where Lebanese were fleeing to Syria, some civilians were trying to protect their families, but the Israeli forces targeted them too," the refugee recalled.
In the past two weeks, Israel has struck the border crossings used by Lebanese refugees entering Syria at least twice.
When the war escalated, Fatima's younger sister had to take her 32-day-old newborn out of the incubator and bring the infant on the perilous journey to Syria.
"This 32-day-old baby was still in the incubator when the bombing started, and we had to quickly take her out. Her father rode a motorcycle to get her to Syrian territory. Her condition isn't good now. Her lung function is poor, but she is receiving treatment here," said Fatima at the Homs shelter.
Currently, some 3,000 Lebanese refugees are crossing into Syria every day. The Syrian government said it will try every means to help the Lebanese refugees.
Lebanese refugee fleeing Israel's assault recalls traumatic war experiences
