China appealed for the establishment of a fair and equitable new international political and economic order, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya said on Monday.

Wang made the remarks at a special solemn meeting of the General Assembly in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II .

Wang said it was an enormous cost for all the peace-loving and justice-upholding people in the world to defeat the Nazi forces and militarism aggressors in WWII.

"WWII brought untold sorrow to mankind, with its unprecedented scope and losses of people's life and property," Wang said. "The world people finally acclaimed the victory of justice and hard-won peace cemented with blood and flesh.

"We wish to take this opportunity to pay our noble tribute to those courageous fighters who sacrificed their lives during the anti-Fascist war and to the Red Army of the former Soviet Union who made great contribution to the final victory, and our profound condolences to all the innocent victims," he said.

Wang pointed out that the purpose of this special meeting is to urge all the peace-loving people not to forget the sanguinary war and not to allow the recurrence of tragedy.

"We cannot fail to note that even after 60 years, the ghost of Nazism and militarism still lingers on," he noted, adding that "a handful of die-hard followers and some extreme right-wing forces and organizations are still trying very hard to distort and deny past crimes, in open defiance of human conscience."

He called on the international community to heighten its vigilance, quoting the Chinese saying "lessons learned from the past can guide us in the future."

"To use history as mirror, one should know the things of shame and then acquire fortitude," he added.

"Today's special meeting is not just for commemorating WWII victims, but more importantly for remembering and facing up to history and learning lessons. Only by so doing can we save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," he stressed.

Wang said the UN still shoulders primary responsibility in preventing the ashes of war from rekindling, in maintaining world peace and stability, and in promoting human progress and development.

"Our organization faces such new challenges as terrorism, transnational crimes, eradication of poverty and inequality, and establishment of a fair and equitable new international political and economic order," he noted.

"Let us join hands once again in the spirit of unity and reconciliation to embrace the future of the entire mankind and respond to new challenges," he concluded.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2005)