( September 22, 2021)

Your Excellency Amb. Rosales,

Distinguished guests,

The Permanent Mission of China is honored to co-host thisside event with the Permanent Missions of Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia Federation, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. We appreciate the presence of Ms. Alena Douhan, SpecialRapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercivemeasures on the enjoyment of human rights. We welcome theparticipation of our colleagues, experts and scholars, andrepresentatives of the civil society.

Unilateral coercive measures are in essence acts ofhegemony and power politics, and run counter to theinternational law and the basic norms governing international relations. In disregard of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United

States and some western countries have been tightening UCMs

causing the shortage of vital epidemic prevention materials, insufficient supply of food and blockade of humanitarian aid. This has severely jeopardized the fundamental rights to life anddevelopment of the people of the targeted countries.

China is also a victim of UCMs. Some countries, in anattempt to undermine China's stability and development andmaintain monopoly of their own companies, fabricated andspread lies and imposed unjustified unilateral coercive measureson relevant Chinese enterprises, entities and individuals underthe pretext of human rights. What they did has infringed on thelegitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and thehuman rights of the Chinese people. These acts are firmlyopposed not only by the Chinese government and people, butalso those upholding justice in the world.

As a Chinese saying goes, "Might may get the upper handfor a time, but justice prevails in the long run", internationalaffairs should be handled through consultations among variousparties, rather than by acting from a so-called"position ofstrength", by hegemony, domineering and bullying or bythreatening, sanctioning and intimidating others. Those who are imposing UCMs will eventually suffer by themselves. All parties should abideby the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice truemultilateralism, uphold international equity and justice,resolvedifferences through consultations and dialogue and respond toglobal challenges through cooperation, so as to realize peace andstability, and shared prosperity.

I wish today's event a full success.

Thank you!