Zimbabwean Ambassador to China Martin Chedondo Photo: Lin Luwen/GT

Zimbabwean Ambassador to China Martin Chedondo told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Thursday that his country commends the People's Republic of China for exercising restraint in the face of provocation and, once again, commits to unequivocally supporting the one-China principle in line with UN Resolution 2758.

The ambassador noted that the era of power-based international politics is long gone, and respect and commitment to peace and security for mankind should be practiced by all.

Ambassador Chedondo made the remarks in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Thursday following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan island. Pelosi arrived in the island on Tuesday night and left on Wednesday afternoon, and the visit is seen as a serious violation of the one-China principle.

Ambassador Chedondo said any official visit to the island of Taiwan, whether by commission or omission, violates the 1971 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and could set the world on a perilous path.

"In our view, such high-level visits by any nation not only take us back to the pre-1971 era but clearly undermine the credibility of the UN as the sole multilateral institution that guarantees global peace and stability," he said.

On October 25, 1971, at its 26th session, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority. It decided to restore all lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the UN and recognize the representatives of its government as the only legitimate UN representatives of China.

"We firmly believe that we have come so far in building these institutions and it is our collective responsibility to promote and defend achievements made thus far. In that regard, diplomatic consultations between nations are a prerequisite for world peace," he said.

"Unilateralism and hegemony have no place in a world in which a majority of nations have embraced multilateralism," the ambassador stressed. 

He also noted that major powers must be responsible and exercise restraint in solving disagreements. 

"We believe that the international situation is under intense pressure from the challenges of COVID-19, conflict, and economic challenges emanating from the war in Ukraine. Hence any attempts to create more flashpoints could push the rest of the world toward an economic catastrophe," he said.

According to him, it's the vulnerable countries that bear the brunt in such a condition. "Therefore, we call for calm and a recommitment to respecting diplomatic solutions to solve differences among nations."