Prof. Zhang Weiwei: Defend the UN Charter
Jan. 12—Below is the transcript of remarks by Prof. Zhang Weiwei of China, to the Jan. 12 EIR Emergency Roundtable. Subheads have been added.
Thank you. Hello everyone. Today we attend this Emergency Round Table Dialogue to condemn in the strongest possible terms, the outrageous acts perpetuated by the Trump Administration against Venezuela: The arbitrary arrest of President Maduro. This brazen act constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, a gross infringement of Venezuela’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a dangerous precedent that erodes the very foundation of the UN Charter-based postwar international order. The United States has a long and shameful record of unilateral military interventions, from Iraq to Libya to Panama, the list stretches on. Each of these reckless ventures has brought nothing but chaos, human suffering, and protracted instability to the countries and the peoples of these countries. This latest provocation has sparked worldwide condemnation.
China has denounced the U.S. action, which constitutes a serious breach of international law, and blatant encroachment upon Venezuela’s inherent rights, including its unshakeable sovereignty over all its natural resources and economic activities. China firmly supports the government and the people of Venezuela in safeguarding their sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests, and supports the regional countries upholding the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.
The Don-Roe Doctrine
It’s also necessary to place the U.S. action within the broader geopolitical landscape, as it reflects the recently revised U.S. Security Strategy breaking away from the costly pursuit of global hegemony. The Trump Administration now embraces what became known as the “Don-roe Doctrine,” seeking to expand U.S. sway over the Western Hemisphere, as arbitrarily defined by Donald Trump, spanning from Venezuela to Panama to Greenland and beyond. Yet in my view, this act is also extremely short-sighted and will be self-defeating. There’s already-inflicted heavy damage to U.S. soft power, to its alliance system, and the very foundation of the so-called rules-based international order.
It also serves as a sobering wake-up call for America’s allies. For years, they joined the United States in pursuing a so-called value-based foreign policy, using humanitarian intervention as a fig leaf to orchestrate color revolutions in many sovereign states, and caused untold suffering to many peoples of the world in flagrant violation of the UN Charter. We roundly condemn both the Trump Administration’s brazen flouting of the UN Charter and long-standing Western practice of waging wars against other countries on the various high-sounding excuses and pretexts.
The international legal system, anchored in the UN Charter, stands as an historic milestone in safeguarding global peace and development, forged from the bitter lessons of the two world wars that claimed the lives of tens of millions. It’s incumbent upon all nations to strive collectively to uphold the postwar international order, underpinned by the UN Charter, and resolutely reject any attempt to erode its foundational bedrock; be it the Trump-style brazen actions or the so-called Western liberal model of military interventions under various excuses, or the dangerous resurgence of Japanese militarism, a force that inflicted untold havoc on China and many other Asian countries.
Defend the UN Charter
On Jan. 6, the Chinese government announced a comprehensive ban on the export of all dual-use items to Japan, a key U.S. ally in Asia. This encompasses all goods, techniques, technologies, and services that could be diverted to military purposes. China will never tolerate the revival of Japanese militarism, no matter what excuses are used, or whatever external support is secured. Our stance is rooted in the unwavering commitment to defend the UN Charter and the Charter-based post war international order. This sweeping ban may also be a warning to the United States that any moves that harm China’s legitimate interests, whether in Venezuela or other parts of the world, will elicit a forceful response from China. Let all peace-loving countries across the globe unite as one in our common endeavor and struggle against any and all acts that trample upon the postwar international order, anchored in the UN Charter.
Let us take all possible means to curb any such acts and defend the fundamental principles of justice and equity that underpin our shared global governance framework. With this, I thank you all for your patience, for your attention. Thank you all.