The 50th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China taking its seat at the United Nations is an important reminder of the need for all in the world to be equally represented at the global body. President Xi Jinping highlighted that fundamental principle on Monday in marking the occasion, reiterating that international rules should be drawn up by its 193 members and they were obliged to follow what had been agreed to. That also means governments cooperating in ensuring its smooth operations, whether through financing, providing personnel or expertise. Only by striving for common goals with shared responsibility can there be the possibility of peaceful coexistence and benefits such as prosperity and stability. Until October 25, 1971, about one-quarter of the world’s population were not represented at the UN. China’s seat had been held by the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China, which had fled to Taiwan after defeat in the civil war. The issue had vexed the Chinese Communist Party and the UN, becoming a matter of legitimacy. With Beijing’s “restoration” of representation, came rights and authority for the people of China and the organisation that had been previously opposed by countries against communist rule, chief among them the United States. Xi alluded to that in his speech at a conference in Beijing also attended by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres via video link. He said China opposed “zero-sum confrontation” and “all forms of hegemony and power politics”. Rightly, he said that “no one society or civilisation is better than the other”. Those are the founding principles of the UN, universality of representation of the world’s people being at the core of its existence and operation. China has taken that to heart in the past 50 years, becoming an important member of the UN. Apart from being one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, its nationals head three of the UN’s specialised agencies and its Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Beijing will never let Taipei participate in UN, former envoy to US says China is the second-biggest provider of funding to the world body’s budget and that of its peace forces. It deploys more troops to UN peacekeeping operations than the combined number of its fellow Security Council members. Xi told the UN General Assembly in September that the world “must improve global governance and practise true multilateralism”. Beijing is a leading advocate of reforming the UN to improve its operations, efficiency and accountability. It is firmly committed to upholding the world body’s charter, its authority and stature and central role in international affairs. That is what is wanted and expected of a responsible great power.