On October 25, 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly witnessed a historic moment when, with an overwhelming majority of 76 votes in favor and 35 against, China finally regained its legitimate seat at the United Nations.
This outcome was both anticipated and well-deserved.
However, looking back at history, we find that China was one of the five founding countries of the United Nations in 1945 and held the status of a permanent member. At that time, China was in the period of the Republic of China, under the rule of the government led by Chiang Kai-shek, thus naturally representing the Republic of China.
This fact may seem at odds with people's understanding. Although the Republic of China in 1945 faced poverty and adversity, and had not yet achieved true sovereignty or liberation of the people, it was listed as one of the founding members of the United Nations, sharing the status of a permanent member with the four major powers of Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union, which raised some questions at the time.
The precursor to the United Nations was the League of Nations, established in 1919 with the aim of promoting international cooperation and world peace.
However, with the outbreak of the Second World War, the League of Nations ceased all activities and gradually faded into obscurity.
In 1942, despite the ongoing World War II, President Roosevelt of the United States recognized that the tide of victory in the war was shifting towards the Allied powers.
He began to adjust the post-war world order to ensure peace and stability.
On January 1, 1942, 26 countries gathered in Washington and signed the Declaration by United Nations, laying the groundwork for the establishment of the future United Nations.
In 1943, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain explicitly proposed at the Moscow Conference to establish an organization aimed at maintaining international security and peace, and determined the final seats of the four major powers, namely the United States, China, the Soviet Union, and Britain.
On October 24, 1945, the United Nations was formally established, with Britain vigorously recommending France as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
However, before the establishment of the United Nations, China's status as a permanent member of the Security Council was questioned by the Soviet Union and Britain.
Churchill once stated that although he admired China, he did not agree with its political system.
The Soviet Union insisted that China did not qualify to participate in the adjustment of the post-World War II world order.
China's smooth accession to the ranks of the permanent members owed to two important factors: its valiant fighting on the anti-Japanese battlefield and the support of the United States for strategic interests.
Since the outbreak of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, China had been in full-scale war with Japan, effectively tying down Japanese forces, preventing their attack on the Soviet Union, and diverting the strategic focus of the fascists.
Moreover, compared to other countries at that time, China was not inferior in comprehensive strength.
Therefore, despite the gap with the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, China eventually succeeded in joining the ranks of the permanent members.
The involvement and support of the United States played an important role in China's smooth accession to the permanent members.
From the signing of the Atlantic Charter in 1941 to the United Nations Constitutional Conference in 1945, the United States had been pushing for China's accession.
Roosevelt once envisioned a police force composed of the United States, Britain, China, and the Soviet Union to maintain world peace, which was one of the reasons the United States supported China's accession.
However, at the crucial moment when deciding whether China should join the permanent members, the attitudes of Britain and France also played a crucial role.
The British government proposed to include France as one of the permanent members to resolve its own conflicting interests in the post-war world order.
This move ensured a more secure guarantee of China's status as a permanent member.
In summary, China's successful restoration of its legitimate seat at the United Nations was not only due to its own efforts and struggles but also benefited from the support and cooperation of countries such as the United States and Britain.
The occurrence of this event marked an elevation of China's position on the international stage and laid a solid foundation for its future international cooperation and development.
Commentaires